Randall's threadfin bream

Type Description

Nemipterus randalli has an ellipsoid body which is slightly compressed with a single, continuous dorsal fin composed of 10 spines and 9 soft rays, with its membrane lacking incisions. The anal fin is slightly pointed towards the rear. The caudal fin is forked and has a long filament which extends from the upper edge of its upper lobe, although the filament is frequently missing. The pectoral fin is pointed and long, extending to the anus. The first ray of the pelvic fin is also long and reaches the origin of the anal fin. The mouth is terminal with a single row of conical teeth on both jaws and 5-6 canine-like teeth on premaxilla and the dentary. The body is scaly even the upper surface of the head down to the midpoint of the eye and there are three rows of scales on the preoperculum. The body is pinkish in colour, which is darker on the back fading silvery-pink on the belly, there are four pale yellow longitudinal stripes on the flanks, the upper stripe starts at eye level and runs to caudal peduncle. The other three stripes are close to each other and there is a yellow spot on the cheek and another on the operculum. They grow to a maximum length of 30 cm but are normally 5–20 cm.[5] The dorsal fin is pale bluish in colour with a red margin and yellow markings clustered towards the base, the caudal fin also has a red margin.

Habitat

"Nemipterus randalli is widely spread throughout the WesternIndian Ocean region, covering the east and west coasts ofIndia, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, Red Sea including the Gulfof Aqaba, the Gulf of Aden, East African coasts, theSeychelles and Madagascar (Russell, 1990; Bilecenoglu andRussell, 2008). Lelli et al. (2008) added the Levant of theMediterranean Sea to the above geographic distributions.

Nemipterus randalli occurs over open sandy and muddy substrates at depths of 20–200 m in its native range but in the Mediterranean it is caught mainly at 30–80 m."

Reproductive Information

The eggs and larvae are planktonic.

Lifecycle

Nutrition Information

It feeds mainly on small benthic invertebrates such as polychaetes, crustaceans, cephalopods and molluscs) and small fishes. 

General Impact Information

General Management Information

General Pathway Information

Nemipterus randalli, has invaded the eastern Mediterranean by Lessepsian migration through the Suez Canal.

Notes

References