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East coast lampeye (Pantanodon stuhlmanni) — Poeciliidae

East coast lampeye

Pantanodon stuhlmanni
Family: Poeciliidae

The East coast lampeye (Pantanodon stuhlmanni) is a brackish-water fish of the family Poeciliidae that grows up to 5 cm.

Length
5 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The east coast lampeye is a small egg-laying toothcarp (Poeciliidae) from fresh and brackish water of the East African coast. The species grows to about 5 cm and has a slender, translucent body with conspicuously glittering, upward-pointing eyes. As a surface schooling fish it lives in coastal pools, mangroves and estuaries and eats small insects, larvae and plankton. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the East coast lampeye?

The East coast lampeye has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly white.

Where does the East coast lampeye live?

The East coast lampeye lives in brackish water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the East coast lampeye get?

The East coast lampeye grows to a maximum of about 5 cm. On average the species is around 2 cm.

Is the East coast lampeye dangerous to humans?

No, the East coast lampeye is harmless to humans.

Is the East coast lampeye edible?

Yes, the East coast lampeye is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Oostkust-lampoog sourced
English name
East coast lampeye sourced
Scientific name
Pantanodon stuhlmanni
Family
Poeciliidae
Other names
Eastcoast lampeye sourced

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
5.0 verified
Average length (cm)
1.8 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
White sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
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 verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Poeciliidae

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