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American coastal pellona (Pellona harroweri) — Pristigasteridae

American coastal pellona

Pellona harroweri

The American coastal pellona (Pellona harroweri) is a brackish-water fish of the family Pristigasteridae that grows up to 18 cm.

Length
18 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
5.0–36.0 m
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The American coastal pellona is a herring (Pristigasteridae) from coastal and estuarine water of the western Atlantic around Central and South America. The species grows to about 18 cm and has a strongly laterally compressed, bright-silvery body with a keeled, saw-edged belly and large eyes. As a social schooling fish it swims in open water and filters plankton and small crustaceans. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the American coastal pellona?

The American coastal pellona has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the American coastal pellona live?

The American coastal pellona lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the American coastal pellona get?

The American coastal pellona grows to a maximum of about 18 cm. On average the species is around 12 cm.

Is the American coastal pellona dangerous to humans?

No, the American coastal pellona is harmless to humans.

Is the American coastal pellona edible?

The American coastal pellona is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Amerikaanse koeloog sourced
English name
American coastal pellona sourced
Scientific name
Pellona harroweri
Family
Pristigasteridae
Other names
American coastal pellona; Caille; Shad verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
18.0 verified
Average length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
36.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten inferred
Fishing method
Te vangen met natuurlijk aas of kunstaas, afgestemd op de grootte en het leefgebied van de soort. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Pellona

More from the family Pristigasteridae

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