Teleostei (teleosts) >
Atheriniformes (Silversides) >
Dentatherinidae (Tusked silversides)
Etymology: Dentatherina: Latin, dens = teeth + Greek, atherina = (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Professor Dr Frank V Mercer was a founding Professor of the School of Biological Science at Macquarie University, Sydney (1964), having been formerly a Professor of Botany at Sydney University. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Issue
Under family Dentatherinidae in Parenti (1984 ?).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-neritic; non-migratory. Tropical
Western Central Pacific: Philippines to north-eastern Australia and from Moluccas to the Trobriand Islands.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9798)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 6 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 14; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 14 - 16. Labial ligament to about halfway along premaxilla forming cylindrical pouch lateral to ramus of dentary and just below edge of premaxilla. Premaxilla with ventrally directed tusk-like process. Caudal peduncle very slender. Midlateral scales 40-43; transverse scale rows 7 to 9; interdorsal scales 8-12.
Found close inshore around islands and over coral reefs. Except for larval biology, little is known about this species. It may be taken as food by commercial species. This species is now placed under family Dentatherinidae in Parenti (1984 ?).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Patten, J.M. and W. Ivantsoff, 1983. A new genus and species of atherinid fish, Dentatherina merceri from the Western Pacific. Jap. J. Ichthyol. 29(4):329-339. (Ref. 5157)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.7 - 29, mean 28.1 °C (based on 734 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
![Image of Dentatherina merceri (Mercer\](/images/thumbnails/gif/tn_Demer_u0.gif "Image of Dentatherina merceri (Mercer\")
