Tusked Silverside

Interesting Info

• The Tusked Silverside is a rare, little-known fish found in Queensland, Papua New Guinea, and parts of the Indo-West Pacific.
• It is the only species in its genus Dentatherina, making it a true one-of-a-kind fish.
• It gets its name from the small, tusk-like teeth in its jaws, unusual for a silverside fish.
• The body is slender and silvery with a faint stripe along the side, typical of schooling silversides.
• This species lives in coastal waters, especially shallow coral reefs, lagoons, and sandy bays.
• It usually swims in small schools close to the surface, flashing silver in the sunlight as it darts about.
• Tusked Silversides feed on zooplankton, tiny crustaceans, and small invertebrates drifting in the water column.
• Their tusk-like teeth may help them grasp slightly larger prey compared to other silversides.
• Little is known about their reproduction, but they likely spawn pelagic eggs into open water, which drift until hatching.
• The lifespan is unknown but is probably short, around 2–3 years like many other small schooling fishes.
• This species is considered “cryptic” by scientists because it is rare in collections and poorly studied despite its wide Indo-Pacific range.