Ilisha (genus) explained

Ilisha is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Pristigasteridae. The genus contains 16 species. It is similar to Pellona but lacks a toothed hypo-maxilla. The genus has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical coastal waters and estuaries.^[1] Some species also enter rivers, and I. amazonica and I. novacula are largely–if not entirely–restricted to tropical rivers.

Fisheries

Two Ilisha species are individually reported in the FAO catch statistics: Ilisha elongata off coasts of China and Korea and Ilisha africana off West African coasts.^[2] Other species may be reported as simply clupeoids.

Species

There are currently 16 recognized species in this genus:

• Ilisha africana (Bloch, 1795) (West African ilisha)
• Ilisha amazonica (A. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) (Amazon ilisha)
• Ilisha compressa J. E. Randall, 1994
• Ilisha elongata (Anonymous (referred to E. T. Bennett), 1830) (Elongate ilisha)
• Ilisha filigera (Valenciennes, 1847) (Coromandel ilisha)
• Ilisha fuerthii (Steindachner, 1875) (Pacific ilisha)
• Ilisha kampeni (M. C. W. Weber & de Beaufort, 1913) (Kampen's ilisha)
• Ilisha lunula Kailola, 1986 (Longtail ilisha)
• Ilisha macrogaster Bleeker, 1866 (Kalimantan ilisha)
• Ilisha megaloptera (Swainson, 1839) (Bigeye ilisha)
• Ilisha melastoma (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801) (Indian ilisha)
• Ilisha novacula (Valenciennes, 1847) (Burmese River ilisha)
• Ilisha obfuscata Wongratana, 1983 (Hidden ilisha)
• Ilisha pristigastroides (Bleeker, 1852) (Javan ilisha)
• Ilisha sirishai Seshagiri Rao, 1975 (Lobejaw ilisha)
• Ilisha striatula Wongratana, 1983 (Banded ilisha)

Notes and References

1. Book: Whitehead, Peter J.P. . FAO species catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, anchovies and wolfherrings. Part 1 – Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae . 1985 . FAO . Rome . FAO Fisheries Synopsis . 125/7/1 . 978-92-5-102340-2. 261–278 .
2. Book: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) . FAO. [ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/CDrom/CD_yearbook_2009/root/capture/yearbook_capture.pdf Yearbook of fishery and aquaculture statistics 2009. Capture production ]. Rome. 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519070831/ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/CDrom/CD_yearbook_2009/root/capture/yearbook_capture.pdf. dead. 2017-05-19. 91–92.