Details
Pampus argenteus
A flat silvery coastal fish valued across the Indo-Pacific, swimming in small schools over shallow shelves.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Occurs from the Arabian Sea and Indian coasts to Southeast Asia and China, using shallow coastal shelves over mud and sandy mud.
The body is strongly compressed, rounded, and bright silver. The tail is deeply forked, and the dorsal and anal fins are long.
Small schools move through coastal midwater and shift between inshore and offshore areas with season and temperature.
It eats jellyfish, plankton, small crustaceans, and benthic invertebrates, often taking soft-bodied prey.
Spawning occurs in warm coastal waters. Eggs and larvae drift before juveniles gather near coasts.
Silver pomfret is a prized food fish in South and Southeast Asia, where fishing pressure and coastal change affect local stocks.
