About Pomadasys commersonnii (Lacepède, 1801)
Pomadasys commersonnii, also known as Pomadasys commersonnii (Lacepède, 1801), has a small mouth with moderately thick lips. There are two pores and a central pit on its chin. Its dorsal fin contains 10-11 spines and 14-15 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 9-10 soft rays. This fish has a dark grey back that fades to silvery white on its underparts. Its back and sides are marked with many small brown spots; these spots are also present on the dorsal fin, but do not extend to the head. There is a dark spot on the margin of the gill cover, as well as on the pelvic and anal fins. This species reaches a maximum total length of 80 cm (31 in).
Pomadasys commersonnii is distributed in the western Indian Ocean. It is found along the eastern coast of Africa from the Gulf of Aden to Cape Point in South Africa, in Madagascar, and along the Asian coast from Yemen to the Arabian Sea coast of India.
Pomadasys commersonnii lives in shallow coastal waters and estuaries. They spawn at sea, and the juveniles settle in estuarine habitats that are used as nursery areas. Adults also migrate into estuaries from the sea to feed. This species is able to tolerate freshwater. It feeds on benthic invertebrates including crustaceans, worms and small bivalves, and it can expose these prey by jetting water into mud using its mouth. It is an oviparous species that forms distinct pairs when it spawns.
