Herklotsichthys castelnaui (Ogilby, 1897)
Castelnau's herring
Herklotsichthys castelnaui
photo by Yau, B.

Family:  Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Max. size:  20 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 50 m
Distribution:  Southwest Pacific: eastern Australia (Queensland southward to New South Wales). Possibly merely an eastern subspecies, of which Herklotsichthys blackburni is the western counterpart; however, it seems equally close to Herklotsichthys Species C. Reported from lower Fly River, Papua New Guinea (Ref. 13533).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-19; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 17-21; Vertebrae: 41-42. Distinguished from most other Australian Herklotsichthys by lacking spots on the flank and lacking elongate wing-like scales underneath pre-dorsal scales. Most closely resembles H. blackburni but has more lower gill rakers. Separated from H. gotoi and Herklotsichthys species C by having 3 distinct dark lines upper flank. Upper caudal tip black; dorsal fin with distinct pale band.
Biology:  Schooling species found in estuarine and coastal marine waters (Ref. 33617, 75154). Adults undergo spawning migration from coastal waters into upper reaches of estuaries during summer and autumn (Ref. 33617).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 02 March 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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