Wolf herring

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iWolf herrings
Dorab wolf-herring
Dorab wolf-herring
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Chirocentridae
Genus: Chirocentrus
Cuvier, 1816
Species

See text.

The wolf herrings are a family (Chirocentridae) of two marine species of ray-finned fish related to the herrings.

Both species have elongated bodies and jaws with long sharp teeth that facilitate their ravenous appetites, mostly for other fish. Both species reach a length of 1 m. They have silvery sides and bluish backs.

They are commercially fished, and marketed fresh or frozen.

[edit] Species

  • Dorab wolf-herring, Chirocentrus dorab, is found in warm coastal waters from the Red Sea to Japan and Australia.
  • Whitefin wolf-herring, Chirocentrus nudus, is found in a similar range, and is difficult to distinguish from C. dorab (the former has a black mark on its dorsal fin). This species is also known to eat crabs in addition to its usual diet of smaller fish.

[edit] References


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