Red Sea Hardyhead Silverside

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: lateral process of premaxilla very low and wide; upper margin of dentary almost flat distally, no distinct tubercle at the posterior end; posterior tip of the upper jaw reaching to or exceeding a vertical through anterior margin of the pupil, and not reaching to a vertical through center of the pupil; teeth on endopterygoids large, forming distinct ridges; anus located around posterior tip of the pelvic fin; lower gill rakers 20-23; midlateral scale count 39-43; lower margin of midlateral band reaching to or just below ventral end of the midlateral (third) scale row at the level of the anal fin origin (Ref. 58474).

Dorsal spines (total): 5 - 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 11 - 15; Vertebrae: 40 - 44

Schooling species. Zooplanktivorous. Dwells in coastal waters. Common in lagoons and semi-enclosed seas (Ref. 127989).

Feeds on zooplankton, small bottom-living invertebrates (Ref. 5980).