saltwater, pelagic, brackish
Indian Anchovy (Post-larval stage)
Stolephorus indicus
Elongated, slender, and nearly cylindrical body. At this larval/post-larval stage, the body is highly transparent with visible internal structures like the vertebral column and gut. It has a large eye, a short dorsal fin located mid-body, and a deeply forked caudal fin that develops more prominently as it matures.…
- Habitat
- Tropical Indo-Pacific coastal waters, including the lago…
- Size & weight
- As larvae, they are just a few millimeters long.…
- Diet
- Primarily a filter feeder, consuming zooplankton, copepo…
Identified More saltwater, pelagic, brackish →
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Physical characteristics
Elongated, slender, and nearly cylindrical body. At this larval/post-larval stage, the body is highly transparent with visible internal structures like the vertebral column and gut. It has a large eye, a short dorsal fin located mid-body, and a deeply forked caudal fin that develops more prominently as it matures. Silver pigmentation along the flanks begins to appear later.
Habitat & distribution
Tropical Indo-Pacific coastal waters, including the lagoons of Sri Lanka. They are found in estuaries, bays, and shallow marine environments, often moving into brackish waters.
Behavior
Highly social and schooling fish. They use schooling as a defense mechanism against predators. In transparent larval stages, they are mostly planktonic, drifting with currents while actively feeding.
Diet
Primarily a filter feeder, consuming zooplankton, copepods, and small crustacean larvae.
Reproduction
Broadcast spawners. They release eggs and sperm into the water column in coastal areas. The eggs are pelagic and hatch into the transparent larval form shown in the image.
Ecological role
Critical primary consumers that bridge the gap between microscopic plankton and larger predators. They are a vital forage fish for larger predatory fish, sea birds, and marine mammals.
Similar species
Other members of the Stolephorus genus or larval Clupeids (sardines). They are distinguished from sardines by the position of their maxilla (jaw) which extends behind the eye in adults.
Identification tips
Look for a transparent, needle-like body with a large eye and a distinct row of melanophores (pigment spots) along the ventral side of the gut.
Interesting facts
The transparency of the larvae is an evolutionary adaptation for camouflage in the open water column where there is nowhere to hide from predators.
Field notes
From Sri knk an lagoon