Deep Pugnose Pony

Description: Body silvery, dorsal with vermiculations short and dark; snout with a dark band; dorsal and anal fins with orange tips; dorsal fin spinous portion with thick orange margin from 2nd to 6th spines. Head naked, with nuchal spine; mouth protrusible pointing forward to slightly downward. Body deep and compressed strongly, depth max 1.8-1.9 in SL; breast with small scales. (Ref. 2108, 90102)

Slendrorhynchus Infestation. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Amphidromous. Refers to fishes that regularly migrate between freshwater and the sea (in both directions), but not for the purpose of breeding, as in anadromous and catadromous species. Sub-division of diadromous. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.Characteristic elements in amphidromy are: reproduction in fresh water, passage to sea by newly hatched larvae, a period of feeding and growing at sea usually a few months long, return to fresh water of well-grown juveniles, a further period of feeding and growing in fresh water, followed by reproduction there (Ref. 82692).

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 17; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 14

Found on the continental shelf (Ref. 75154). Feeds mainly on copepods and diatoms (Ref. 26908).

Found over muddy sand bottoms of coastal inshore waters (Ref. 47581). Often enters estuaries (Ref. 4833). Forms schools. Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166).

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: high; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus

分布於印度-中西太平洋區，西起非洲東岸、紅海，東至密克尼西亞群島，北自琉球群島，南迄澳洲。台灣各沿海均有產。

一般漁法以底拖網、待袋網、小型圍網捕獲。肉質細嫩，適合煮湯；或當延繩釣之魚餌或以下雜魚般餵食高經濟價值之養殖魚類。

體卵圓形而側扁，腹緣銳圓，隨著成長而較背部輪廓為凸。眼上緣具二鼻後棘。口小，可向前方伸出；上下頜僅一列細小齒；吻尖，短於眼徑。前鰓蓋下緣具細鋸齒。頭部不具鱗；體完全被圓鱗；腹鰭具腋鱗，背鰭及臀鰭具鞘鱗；側線僅達背鰭末端下方或稍前。背鰭單一，硬棘部和軟條相連；胸鰭發達，似鐮刀形；尾柄細窄，尾鰭深叉形。體背銀灰色，體側銀白；體側上半部具蠕狀斑紋。吻端、頭部及體側下半部具成列但不顯之灰黑色細點。胸鰭基部下側具黑色。背鰭硬棘部末端具一橙紅色斑，軟條部則有暗色緣；腹、胸及臀鰭色淡；尾鰭稍暗色。

主要棲息於砂泥底質的沿海地區，亦可生活於河口區。群游性，一般皆在底層活動，活動深度約在10-40公尺之間，有時會進入較深水域。肉食性，以小型甲殼類、多毛類、及二枚貝為食。