Elops
Elops is a genus of marine ray-finned fish found worldwide, and the only extant member of the ancient family Elopidae. They are commonly known as ladyfish, skipjacks, jack-rashes, or tenpounders.
They are fished, but their bodies are bony, so these fish are not marketed widely for consumption. They are caught and used as bait or may be ground down for fish meal.
Taxonomy
The currently recognized extant species in this genus are:- Elops affinis Regan, 1909
- Elops hawaiensis Regan, 1909
- Elops lacerta Valenciennes, 1847
- Elops machnata
- Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766
- Elops senegalensis Regan, 1909
- Elops smithi McBride, Rocha, Ruiz-Carus & Bowen, 2010
- †Elops bultyncki Nolf, 2004 - Early Cretaceous of Spain
- †Elops eutawanus Schwarzhans et al., 2018 - Late Cretaceous of Alabama, USA
- †Elops miiformis Lin et al., 2016 - Middle Eocene of France
- †Elops ramaekersii Schwarzhans, 1985 - Paleocene or early Eocene of Ellesmere Island, Canada)
- ?†Elops undulatus Stinton, 1966 - early Eocene of England
Phylogenetic analyses indicate that, in contrast to the ancient nature of the group, the modern species diversity within Elops originates from a relatively recent evolutionary radiation.
Description
The ladyfish are a coastal-dwelling fish found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions, occasionally venturing into temperate waters. Spawning takes place at sea, and the fish larvae migrate inland entering brackish waters. Their food is smaller fish and crustaceans. Typically throughout the species, the maximum size is and the maximum weight. The body is fusiform and oval in cross-section; being slightly laterally compressed, and the eyes are large and partially covered with adipose eyelids.Like those of eels, the larvae are leptocephalic - being highly compressed, ribbon-like, and transparent. After initial growth, they shrink and then metamorphose into the adult form.