LEIOGNATHIDAE


Equulites elongatus, 8.1 cm SL
(from Kanagawa Pref., Japan; photo by Seishi Kimura)



Equulites elongatus, 7.2 cm SL
(from Mie Pref., Japan; photo by Seishi Kimura)


Equulites elongatus
(Günther,1874)
Elongate Ponyfish

D VIII, 16; A III, 14; P1 16-18; LL 54-61; GR 4-7 + 12-15 = 16-20; V 10+14.

Body elongate, slender, cylindrical; ventral profile more strongly convex than dorsal profile. Mouth protruding downwards, with minute teeth on both jaws; ventral profile of lower jaw slightly concave or almost straight. Breast completely scaled. Color: body brownish silver dorsally, brilliant silvery-white ventrally; irregular black blotches dorsolaterally on body. Size: maximum length about 12 cm. Distribution: widely distributed in Indo-West Pacific, from eastern Africa to Australia, northward to central Japan. Remarks: usually found in shallow waters. Feeds on small invertebrates. Photoplagios is a junior synoym of Equulites (Kimura et al., 2008c).