Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens) > Dorosomatinae
Etymology: Tenualosa: Latin, tenuis = thin + Latin, alausa = a fish cited by Ausonius and Latin, halec = pickle, dealing with the Greek word hals = salt; it is also the old Saxon name for shad = "alli" ; 1591 (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 188). Tropical, preferred ?; 31°N - 5°N, 95°E - 123°E (Ref. 188)
Northwest Pacific: China and possibly southward into South China Sea, but records uncertain. Eastern Indian Ocean: two specimens collected from Phuket Island, Andaman Sea. The species thus overlaps Tenualosa toli in range.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 44 - 51 cm
Max length : 61.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 45563); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27773); max. published weight: 5.0 kg (Ref. 47439); max. reported age: 8 years (Ref. 45563)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 3;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 14-15;
Anal
spines: 2;
Anal
soft rays: 16 - 18;
Vertebrae: 44 - 45. Belly with 29 to 34 scutes. Head large; a median notch in upper jaw, which distinguishes it from other similar clupeids, except Hilsa kelee; with a well developed sebaceous eyelids. Gill rakers fine and numerous, each raker with scattered asperities. Caudal fin deeply forked with minute scales. A dark blotch behind gill opening and a series of spots along flank. Color: Metallic blue-green back that lightens to silver along the sides (Ref. 45563).
Schooling in coastal waters and ascending rivers to breed. Adults are found near the surface at sea while larvae and juveniles spend the first two years of their life in river tide pools and estuaries (Ref. 57990). Feed on planktonic crustaceans like cyclopoids and other copepods, and rotifers (Ref. 45563).
Ascend rivers to breed (Ref. 45563). After spawning, the adults go back to the sea while the larvae stay in river mouths during their first year. At the beginning of their second year, the juveniles swim to the sea (Ref. 45563).
Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeioidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 188)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
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