About Gerres subfasciatus Cuvier, 1830
Gerres subfasciatus Cuvier, 1830, commonly called the common silver belly, can be identified by its silver-colored body, which grows up to 20 cm long. This fish has a highly protrusible jaw, a long-based dorsal fin, and black-tipped anterior spines that are longer than the other spines in the fin. Both jaws can protrude out and down to form a tube shape, which the fish uses to feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Its distribution ranges from south-western Western Australia, through the tropical north of Australia, and south along the east Australian coast to southern New South Wales. This species typically forms schools over sandy bottoms, and inhabits estuaries and coastal reefs.
