Wolf herring

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Wolf herrings
Temporal range: 55–0 Ma
Eocene to Present[1]
Chirocentrus dorab JNC3219.JPG
Dorab wolf-herring
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Chirocentridae
Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1846
Genus: Chirocentrus
Cuvier, 1816
Species

See text

Dorab wolf-herring.png

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.[2] Both species reach a length of 1 m. They have silvery sides and bluish backs.

They are commercially fished, and marketed fresh or frozen.

Species[]

  • Chirocentrus dorab (Forsskål, 1775) - Dorab wolf-herring, found in warm coastal waters from the Red Sea to Japan and Australia
  • Swainson, 1839 - whitefin wolf-herring, found in a similar range (This species 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.)

References[]

  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  2. ^ Nelson, Gareth (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 94. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
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