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Flathead sillago (Sillaginopsis panijus) — Sillaginidae

Flathead sillago

Sillaginopsis panijus
Family: Sillaginidae

The Flathead sillago (Sillaginopsis panijus) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Sillaginidae that grows up to 44 cm.

Length
44 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The flathead sillago is a sillago (Sillaginidae) from coastal, brackish and estuarine water of the northern Indian Ocean, off South Asia. The species grows to about 44 cm and has an elongate, pale body with a notably flattened, broad head and small eyes, adapted to turbid estuarine water. As a bottom-dweller it digs with its snout in sand and mud bottoms for worms, small crustaceans and molluscs. It is a food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Flathead sillago?

The Flathead sillago has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Flathead sillago live?

The Flathead sillago lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Flathead sillago get?

The Flathead sillago grows to a maximum of about 44 cm. On average the species is around 25 cm.

Is the Flathead sillago dangerous to humans?

No, the Flathead sillago is harmless to humans.

Is the Flathead sillago edible?

Yes, the Flathead sillago is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Platkop-zandspiering sourced
English name
Flathead sillago sourced
Scientific name
Sillaginopsis panijus
Family
Sillaginidae
Other names
Gangetic sillago; Gangetic whiting; Whiting verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
44.0 verified
Average length (cm)
25.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. 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 Sillaginidae

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