Kuhlia mugil

Kuhlia mugil
Kuhlia mugil
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Kuhliidae
Genus:	Kuhlia
Species:	K. mugil
Binomial name
Kuhlia mugil (J. R. Forster, 1801)
Synonyms
Sciaena mugil J. R. Forster, 1801 Dules taeniurus G. Cuvier, 1829 Kuhlia taeniura (G. Cuvier, 1829) Perca argentea J. W. Bennett, 1830 Dules argenteus (J. W. Bennett, 1830) Dules bennetti Bleeker, 1853 Kuhlia arge D. S. Jordan & Bollman, 1890 Kuhlia sterneckii Steindachner, 1898 Dules taeniurus malpeloensis Fowler, 1944

Kuhlia mugil, the barred flagtail or the five-bar flagtail, is a species of flagtail belonging to the family Kuhliidae.

Description

This species can reach 40 cm (16 in) in standard length, though most do not exceed 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length.^[2] Body is elongate and compressed, eyes are large and the mouth is oblique, with a projecting lower jaw. The basic body color is silvery, but the moderately forked caudal fin is white with two black stripes across each lobe and a median blackish stripe. Also the soft portion of the dorsal fin shows a blackish band. This flagtail has 10 dorsal spines, 10-11 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines and 10-12 anal soft rays.^[2]

It feeds on small fishes and planktonic crustaceans.^[2] This species is of minor importance commercially, being often used as bait to catch other types of fish. It is also popular for display in public aquaria.

Distribution

Kuhlia mugil is native to brackish and marine waters of the Indian Ocean and the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean, from Red Sea and East Africa to southern Japan, New South Wales and Lord Howe Island, excluding Hawaii.^[2]

Habitat

This species occurs on reefs at depths of from 3 to 18 m (9.8 to 59.1 ft), where they form tightly packed schools. Young fish can also be found in tide pools. This species has also been reported occasionally from estuaries but never from fresh waters.^[2]

References

1. Hoese, D. & Mailautoka, K. 2012. Kuhlia mugil. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 October 2013.
2. FishBase

Bibliography

• Randall, J.E. and H.A. Randall (2001) Review of the fishes of the genus Kuhlia (Perciformes: Kuhliidae) of the Central Pacific., Pac. Sci. 55(3):227-256.
• Randall, J.E. (1995) Coastal fishes of Oman., University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 439 p.
• Talwar, P.K. and A.G. Jhingran (1991) Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries. Volume 2., A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.
• Eschmeyer, W.N. (ed.) (2005) Catalog of fishes
• Maugé, L.A. (1986) Kuhliidae., p. 306-307. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Bruxelles, MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2.

External links

• Marine Life Photography
• EoL
• Discover Life
• WoRMS
• Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D. (red.) (2011). Catalogue of Life