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Commerson's glassy (Ambassis ambassis) — Ambassidae

Commerson's glassy

Ambassis ambassis
Family: Ambassidae
LC · Least Concern

The Commerson's glassy (Ambassis ambassis) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Ambassidae that grows up to 15 cm.

Length
15 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The longspine glassfish is a glassfish (Ambassidae) from the Indo-West Pacific and the coastal waters of East Africa. The species is small and has a translucent, silvery body through which the spine and organs are visible, and relatively long dorsal fin spines. It lives in schools in estuaries and coastal waters and tolerates fresh water at temperatures between about 7 and 32 degrees. It feeds on small zooplankton and small crustaceans. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Commerson's glassy?

The Commerson's glassy has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Commerson's glassy live?

The Commerson's glassy lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Commerson's glassy get?

The Commerson's glassy grows to a maximum of about 15 cm.

Is the Commerson's glassy dangerous to humans?

No, the Commerson's glassy is harmless to humans.

Is the Commerson's glassy edible?

The Commerson's glassy is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Langstekel-glasbaars sourced
English name
Commerson's glassy verified
Scientific name
Ambassis ambassis
Family
Ambassidae
Other names
Commerson's glassy; Commerson's glassy perchlet; Commerson's perchlet verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Ambassis

More from the family Ambassidae

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