Month: February 2015

Species: Carassius auratus English Name: Goldfish Chinese Name: 土鲫 Family: Cyprinidae Description: This carp has a slightly elongated body with a short and small head, and it varies in pigmentation. The wild-caught specimens vary from olive-brown through gold (often with black blotches) to creamy white pigment. The cultured forms vary through scarlet, red-pink, silver, brown, white, black…

Species: Coryphaena hippurus English Name: Common Dolphinfish Chinese Name: 鯕鰍 Family: Coryphaenidae Description: This dolphinfish has an elongated and compressed metallic blue and green body with striking golden hues on the sides, and white and yellow on the underparts. Can grow up to a length of 210 cm. Lives in open waters but also near the coast.…

Species: Coryphaena equiselis English Name: Pompano Dolphinfish Chinese Name: 棘鯕鰍 Family: Coryphaenidae Description: This dolphinfish has a shiny blue green body that changes to gray with green tints after death. It has flanks with golden highlights and numerous diffuse black stains. Can grow up to a length of 127 cm. Lives primarily in the ocean but may…

Species: Chirocentrus nudus English Name: Whitefin Wolf-herring Chinese Name: 長頷寶刀魚 Family: Chirocentridae Description: A silvery, bright blue (fading to grey) back with bright silver flanks wolf-herring. Can grow up to a length of 100 cm. Lives inshore and preys on small fishes and crabs. Highly commercialized for human consumption. Photos used under a Creative Commons license References:…

Species: Chirocentrus dorab English Name: Dorab Wolf-herring Chinese Name:  寶刀魚, 高體寶刀魚 Family: Chirocentridae Description: The Dorab Wolf-herring has an elongated and very compressed silvery, bright blue fading to grey body with bright silver flanks. A characteristic pertinent to this species is the slightly shorter pectoral fin and the black marking of the upper part of the…

Species: Lamiopsis temminckii English Name: Broadfin Shark Chinese Name:  小眼真鯊 Family: Carcharhinidae Description: The Broadfin Shark is grey or yellow-grey above, lighter below, and visible markings. Can grow up to a length of 170 cm. Lives in coastal, inshore waters. Preys on small fishes and invertebrates. Used for human consumption. Photos used under a Creative Commons…

Species: Carcharhinus sealei English Name: Blackspot Shark Chinese Name:  西氏真鯊 Family: Carcharhinidae Description: A small, slender grey shark with a long, rounded snout, large, oval eyes, and oblique-cusped teeth. Its second dorsal fin is covered one-half or more by a black tip. Can grow up to a length of 100 cm. Lives on the continental and…

Species: Carcharhinus hemiodon English Name: Pondicherry Shark Chinese Name:  印度真鲨 Family: Carcharhinidae Description: The Whitecheek Shark is grey above, white below, with tips of the pectorals, and upper and lower caudal-fin lobes black. Can grow up to a length of 200 cm. Lives on the continental and insular shelves. Preys on small fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans.…

Species: Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos English Name: Blacktail Reef Shark Chinese Name:  黑尾真鲨 Family: Carcharhinidae Description: The Blacktail Reef Shark has dark grey or bronze-grey body, white below, caudal fin with a wide black posterior margin; undersides of pectoral and pelvic fins with black tips and posterior margins. Can grow up to a length of 255 cm. Lives…

Species: Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides English Name: Graceful Shark Chinese Name:  钝吻真鲨 Family: Carcharhinidae Description: The Graceful Shark has grey or grey-brown on dorsal surface, white or cream below, with a band of white on sides from pelvic fins to first dorsal fin. Can grow up to a length of 161 cm. Lives inshore and prey on fishes,…