Opisthonema berlangai Berry & Barrett, 1963
Galapagos thread herring
Opisthonema berlangai
photo by FAO

Family:  Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Max. size:  26 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range 0 - 50 m
Distribution:  Southeast Pacific: endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-21; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 15-17. The filamentous last dorsal fin ray distinguishes this species from members of any other eastern Pacific clupeoid genus. Lower gill rakers 50 to 87 in fishes over 14 cm standard length (intermediate between O. medirastre with 41 to 69 and O. libertate with 63 to 110, but neither of these occur in the Galapagos Islands).
Biology:  Forms schools.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 15 September 2022 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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