Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus
No common name
Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Clupeiformes (Herrings, Anchovies and Sardines)
Clupeidae (Herrings)
Herklotsichthys
Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Diagnosis: Body slender, its depth 18 to 30% of standard length; presence of two fleshy outgrowths on the hind margin of the gill opening; sharp belly with keeled scutes, 16-19 pre-pelvic and 12-14 post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 188, 3259). The presence of elongate wing-like scales underneath the normal paired pre-dorsal scales separate it from all other species except the two Australian species with prominent black spots on the flank, Herklotsichthys koningsbergeri and Herklotsichthys Species A, and the unspotted Herklotsichthys Species B, which has dusky tips to dorsal and caudal fins and more lower gill rakers, 36-42 vs. 33-36 in H. quadrimaculatus (Ref. 188). Flank silvery with an electric blue line preceded by two orange spots (Ref. 188).
Description: Body fusiform, moderately slender; depth of body 3.1-3.9 in standard length (Ref. 3107, 90102). Top of head with few, fronto-parietal striae, about 4-7 striae on each side (Ref. 3259). Lower portion of paddle-shaped second supramaxilla longer than upper; gill opening with two fleshy outgrowths; no prominent ridges of teeth on roof of mouth (Ref. 3107, 3259). Lower gill rakers 28-37; upper gill rakers 11-16; total gill rakers 40-50 (Ref. 3259, 122993). Dorsal fin with 3-5 unbranched and 13-16 branched rays; anal fin with 2-4 unbranched and 13-17 branched rays; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 13-16 branched rays; pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays (Ref. 3259, 122993). Longitudinal scale series 38-45; broad wing-like scales almost hidden beneath the overlapping pre-dorsal scales (Ref. 3107, 3259, 30573, 122993). Sharp belly, with keeled scutes; total ventral scutes 30-32, with 16-19 pre-pelvic and 12-14 post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 3259, 90102, 122993).
Colouration: Back blue-green without spots, flanks silvery with two orange spots behind gill opening in life and a blue midlateral band (Ref. 188, 3107, 3259). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: widespread in Indian Ocean and western Pacific, including entire eastern coast of Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius eastward to Japan, eastern Australia, and Samoa (Ref. 188). Introduced into Hawaii, apparently by accident, and now abundant (Ref. 188). At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish, marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-13 m. Found in: estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds.
Biology
Adults form schools near mangroves, shallow coastal bays and lagoons during the day and moves further offshore into deeper water by night (Ref. 188, 48635); at depths of 0-13m (Ref. 58302, 82332). Known in mills around in large schools under wharves or along sandy beaches in protected bays (Ref. 26367). Pelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on zooplankton, mainly at night, chiefly copepods in juvenile stages, but larger prey as adults (chaetognaths, polychaetes, shrimps and small fishes) (Ref. 188). Breeds during its first year and probably survives only a few months after maturity (Ref. 188). Marketed fresh and dried salted (Ref. 188). Usually parceled in leaves and baked in a motu oven. Do not recover quite as quickly as other species of baitfish after heavy fishing (Ref. 26367).
Max length: 25.0 cm SL; common length: 10.0 cm SL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Breeds during its first year and probably survives only a few months after maturity (Ref. 188).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2017-02-28. Resilience: High (K=2.6).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Whitehead, P.J.P. (1985) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO.
Whitehead, P.J.P. and T. Wongratana (1984) Clupeidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean fishing area 51. Vol. 1. [pag. var.]. FAO, Rome.
Milton, D.A., S.J.M. Blaber and N.J.F. Rawlinson (1994) Diet, prey selection, and their energetic relationship to reproduction in the tropical herring Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus in Kiribati, Central Pacific. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 103:239-250.
Kuiter, R.H. and T. Tonozuka (2001) Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 1. Eels- Snappers, Muraenidae - Lutjanidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 1-302.
Fricke, R., T. Mulachau, P. Durville, P. Chabanet, E. Tessier and Y. Letourneur (2009) Annotated checklist of the fish species (Pisces) of La Réunion, including a Red List of threatened and declining species. Stuttg. Beitr. Naturk. A, N. Ser., 2:1-168.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
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