Herklotsichthys lippa (Whitley, 1931)
Australian spotted herring
photo by CSIRO

Family:  Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Max. size:  16 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: Exmouth Gulf to Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York and Aru Island in Australia (Ref. 188). Also Arafura Sea (Ref. 9819) and Papua New Guinea (Ref. 6993).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-21; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 12-23. Distinguished from all other Australian Herklotsichthys by the series of small round black spots on the flank. Elongate wing-like scales underneath normal paired pre-dorsal scales. A dark spot behind gill cover.
Biology:  A schooling species found in coastal waters (Ref. 188, 75154).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 28 February 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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