The dwarf paradise fish (''Parapolynemus verekeri''), also known as the streamer threadfin or streamered tasselfish, is a species of
ray-finned fish from a
family Polynemidae
Threadfins are silvery grey perciform fish of the family Polynemidae. Found in tropical to subtropical waters throughout the world, the threadfin family contains eight genera and about 40 species. An unrelated species sometimes known by the n ...
, the
threadfins. It is the only species in the genus ''Parapolynemus'' and it is found in Australia and
New Guinea.
Description
The dwarf paradise fish is the smallest species of threadfin which has an elongated body with a large oblique and turned down mouth. It has two separate
dorsal fins, the first of which has 8 spines and the second which has a single spine and 11-14 soft rayswhile the
anal fin
Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...
has 3 spines and 10 -12 soft rays. The base of the anal fin is shorter than that of the second dorsal fin. The
caudal fin has long lobes with the lower usually being the longest; normally it is longer than the distance from the snout to the start of the second dorsal fin. The
pectoral fins have 12 to 14 simple raysand are located near the midline of the body and may extend beyond the rear end of the anal fin's base. It has 6 or 7 pectoral filaments; with the fifth filament, the farthest back, being the longest, sometimes reaching past the end of the caudal fin. The pelvic fins reach beyond the anus. There are 50*60 scales in the
lateral line
The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...
which nds between the centre of the fork of the caudal fin and its first lower ray. This species has its body and head coloured yellow, shading to black on the back, with bright orange fins. The pectoral filaments are deep vermilion in colour.
The maximum
standard length
Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.
Overall length
* Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...
of .
Distribution
The dwarf paradise fish is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the south-western Pacific Ocean in Australia and New Guinea. In New Guinea it is found in the south of the island from
Maro River in
Western New Guinea to the
Gulf of Papua in Papua New Guinea. The Australian distribution extends from
Cambridge Gulf in
Western Australia to
Point Stuart in the
Northern Territory.
[
]
Habitat and biology
Adult dwarf paradise fish occur in muddy estuaries and the lower part of rivers. There is evidence that the take part in mass spawning as hundreds of adults in near breeding condition were taken at the Medusa Banks by a trawl in January or February 1968.[
]
References
External links
* Streamer Threadfin @ Fishes of Australia
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1927448
dwarf paradise fish
Monotypic fish genera
Fish of New Guinea
Marine fish of Northern Australia
Taxa named by William Saville-Kent
dwarf paradise fish