Description

Body moderately elongate, fusiform, slightly compressed. Eye large. Snout conical, projecting well beyond lower jaw. Mouth small, inferior, gape not reaching anterior margin of eye; a small gular plate present between arms of lower jaw, but small and inconspicuous. Teeth small, granular, in patches on jaws and on roof and floor of mouth; tooth patches on parasphenoid and basibranchial bones more broadly oval in shape, average width/length 0.38 and 0.45, respectively; number of teeth in pharyngobranchial tooth patch usually 5-15. Branchiostegal rays about 10 to 15. Gill rakers rudimentary, consisting of small patches of minute, villiform teeth. All fins without spines; dorsal fin located at about midbody, with about 15-19rays; anal fin with 8-9 rays, located well behind dorsal fin; caudal fin deeply forked; pectoral fins low on side of body, near ventral outline; pelvic fins abdominal, located under posterior part of dorsal fin. Scales small, about 70 to 80 along lateral line. Body bluish green dorsally, often with several faint saddles of slightly darker colour; silvery on sides, with several faint, narrow, longitudinal lines; belly white; a spot of black pigment often present on the underside of snout, at least in smaller individuals.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Order: Albuliformes

Family: Albulidae

Genus: Albula

Species: Albula glossodonta (Forsskål, 1775)