Setipinna phasa
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Clupeiformes (Herrings, Anchovies and Sardines)
Engraulidae (Anchovies)
Setipinna
Setipinna phasa
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. Belly with 21 or 22 keeled scutes from isthmus to anus. Lower gill rakers with the serrae even or becoming clumped in some specimens. Pectoral filament long, reaching to base of 15th to 39th anal fin ray. Anal fin with upper caudal lobe truncated, shorter than lower. Pectoral fins hyaline, but dark in fishes over 13.6 cm SL. Striking features: striking fins.
Distribution
Asia: Indian fresh and brackish waters (Ganges system, from Diamond Harbor on the Hooghly to as far up as Allahabad on the Ganges, perhaps further; also rivers and estuaries of Orissa). Reported from Bangladesh and Myanmar (Ref. 45255).
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish. pelagic. Found in: streams, estuaries.
Biology
A riverine species, but also found in estuaries and presumably tolerating some salinity. Adults feed mainly on mysids and small prawns (reduced feeding during breeding), juveniles mainly on copepods. Possibly breeds throughout the year, with peaks in October and November (Hooghly at Barrackpore) or March-May (Ganges at Allahabad). Its large size makes it an attractive foodfish.
Max length: 40.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Has an extended breeding season, possibly throughout the year.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-12-04. Resilience: Medium (K=0.24).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Whitehead, P.J.P., G.J. Nelson and T. Wongratana (1988) 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(7/2):305-579. Rome: FAO.
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