The paradise threadfin (''Polynemus paradiseus'') is a species of

catadromous Fish migration is mass relocation by fish from one area or body of water to another. Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousan ...

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

, a

threadfin Threadfins are silvery grey perciform fish of the family Polynemidae. Found in tropical to subtropical waters throughout the world, the threadfin family contains eight genera and about 40 species. An unrelated species sometimes known by the name ...

from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Polynemidae Threadfins are silvery grey perciform fish of the family Polynemidae. Found in tropical to subtropical waters throughout the world, the threadfin family contains eight genera and about 40 species. An unrelated species sometimes known by the name ...

which is found in south and southeast Asia in freshwater rivers where it is a valued food fish.

Description

The paradise threadfin is a medium-sized species of threadfin which attains a maximum length of , although the type of measurement used was not given, a more normal length is a

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

of . It has a pointed snout and the head's dorsal profile is almost horizontal. There are two separate

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

s, the first dorsal fin has 8 spines with each one having a base of a similar size to the others. The second dorsal fin contains a single spine and 14 or 15 soft rays. The

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

has 2 spines and normally has 12 soft rays, its base is shorter in length than the base of the second dorsal-fin. The

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

s contain 15 to 18 unbranched rays and its tip almost reaches to the origin of the

origin, although it is relatively longer in juvenile. There are 7 pectoral filaments the longest being up to 2.5 times the

standard length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...

. The caudal fin is deeply forked and neither of its lobs are filamentous. The

lateral-line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...

is simple and runs from the upper end of the gill slit to the middle of the rear margin of the caudal fin, the lateral line contains 66-71 pored scales. The head and body are greyish-black above and yellow below, The front parts of both dorsal fins are greyish black with the rest of the fins being pale yellow. The pectoral and pelvic fins are completely a vivid yellow. The pectoral filaments are bright yellow at their base fading to whitish yellow at their tips. The anal fin is wholly coloured yellow. The rear edge of the caudal fin is yellow and the rest of the tail is greyish black.

Distribution

The paradise threadfin is found in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region. It occurs from Pakistan, on both coasts of India, the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It countries it has been recorded from include Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. In India it is found in the basins of the

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...

and the

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

and in Indonesia it has only been recorded from Sumatra, although these needs confirmation. Its presence in Malaysia is uncertain.

Habitat and biology

The paradise threadfin occurs where there are sand substrates in estuaries and in offshore waters down to depths of but it breeds in fresh water so it has to regularly migrate into rivers. It is a carnivorous species which feeds on crustaceans, small fishes and benthic organisms. This species has separate sexes and there is no evidence of hermaphroditism. It is thought that paradise threadfins in the

Hooghly River The Bhagirathi Hooghly River (Anglicized alternatively spelled ''Hoogli'' or ''Hugli'') or the 'Bhāgirathi-Hooghly', called the Ganga or the Kati-Ganga in mythological texts, is the eastern distributary of the Ganges River in West Bengal, Indi ...

spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: Ar ...

from April to September and females sampled during October are almost all spent.

Fisheries

The paradise threadfin is one of the most important species for fisheries in eastern India and in Myanmar.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2499395

paradise threadfin The paradise threadfin (''Polynemus paradiseus'') is a species of catadromous ray-finned fish, a threadfin from the family Polynemidae which is found in south and southeast Asia in freshwater rivers where it is a valued food fish. Description ...

Fish of the Mekong Basin Fish of Cambodia Fish of Laos Fish of Thailand Fish of Vietnam Fish of India Fish of Bangladesh Fish of Myanmar Fish of Indonesia Fish of Pakistan Fish of Sri Lanka Fish of the Philippines