Japanese threadfin bream
Nemipterus japonicus, the Japanese threadfin bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin and whiptail breams. This species is found in the Indo Pacific region and is an important food fish.
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PlanktivoreA planktivore is an aquatic organism that feeds on planktonic food, including zooplankton and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are usually photosynthet...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withNemipterus japonicus has its dorsal fin supported by 10 spines and 9 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 7 soft rays. Its body has a standard length that is 2.7 to 3.5 times its depth and it has a snout that is equal to in length or longer than the diameter of the eye. There are 4 or 5 pairs of canine-like teeth in the front of the upper jaw. The pectoral fins are very long and extend beyond the origin of the anal fin and the pelvic fins are of moderate length extending to or just beyond the anus. The caudal fin has a moderately deep forked shape with the upper lobe slightly longer than the lower and extending into an elongated filament. The colour of the upper body is pinkish changing to silvery on the flanks and ventral surface. The top of the head to the rear of the eye has a golden tint and there are 11 or 12 light yellow horizontal stripes running from behind the head to the caudal peduncle. There is a distinct reddish-yellow blotch underneath the front end of the lateral line. The dorsal fin is whitish with a yellow margin, which has a red edge, and a pale yellow stripe near its base. The anal fin is whitish marked with yellow lines or dashes. The pectoral fins are nearly transparent and pinkish in colour while the pelvic fins are whitish with a yellow axillary scale. The caudal fin is pink with its upper tip and filament being yellow. The maximum published total length of this fish is 34 cm (13 in), although 25 cm (9.8 in) is more typical.
Nemipterus japonicus has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. Its range extends from the Red Sea south to Tanzania, the Persion Gulf and Gulf of Oman east to the Philippines, north to Japan south to Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The reports of this species as a Lessepsian migrant in the Mediterranean Sea are now thought refer to N. randalli. The Japanese threadfin bream is an abundant demersal species in coastal waters ate depths between 5 and 80 m (16 and 262 ft) over muddy and sandy substrates.
Nemipterus japonicus is typically encountered in schools. They feed on fishes, crustaceans, molluscs (largely cephalopods), polychaetes and echinoderms. It is a short-lived species which grows quickly and reaches sexual maturity at around a year old. In the Persian Gulf spawning occurs in the Spring and Summer.
