Family Kuhliidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Genus Kuhlia | |
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Similar Flagtail, Kuhlia rupestris, Spotted flagtail, Kuhlia xenura, Kuhlia sandvicensis | ||
Okinawa diving kuhlia mugil
Kuhlia mugil, the barred flagtail or the five-bar flagtail, is a species of flagtail belonging to the family Kuhliidae.
Contents
- Okinawa diving kuhlia mugil
- hawaiian longfin anthias kuhlia mugil
- Description
- Distribution
- Habitat
- References
hawaiian longfin anthias kuhlia mugil
Description
This species can reach 40 cm (16 in) in standard length, though most do not exceed 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length. Body is elongate and compressed, eyes are large and the mouth is oblique, with a projecting lower jaw. The basic body color is silvery, but the moderately forked caudal fin is white with two black stripes across each lobe and a median blackish stripe. Also the soft portion of the dorsal fin shows a blackish band. This flagtail has 10 dorsal spines, 10-11 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines and 10-12 anal soft rays.
It feeds on small fishes and planktonic crustaceans. This species is of minor importance commercially, being often used as bait to catch other types of fish. It is also popular for display in public aquaria.
Distribution
Kuhlia mugil is native to brackish and marine waters of the Indian Ocean and the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean, from Red Sea and East Africa to southern Japan, New South Wales and Lord Howe Island, excluding Hawaii.
Habitat
This species occurs on reefs at depths of from 3 to 18 m (9.8 to 59.1 ft), where they form tightly packed schools. Young fish can also be found in tide pools. This species has also been reported occasionally from estuaries but never from fresh waters.
