Teleostei (teleosts) >
Elopiformes (Tarpons and tenpounders) >
Elopidae (Tenpounders)
Etymology: Elops: Greek, ellops = a kind of serpent (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Regan.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range ? - 50 m (Ref. 118623). Tropical; 22°N - 7°S, 26°W - 13°E (Ref. 118623)
Eastern Atlantic: West African coast from Mauritania to the Democratic Republic of Congo (Ref. 2844, 4445, 81265). It is often confused with Elops lacerta (Ref. 81265).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 90.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 81265); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2683); max. published weight: 5.9 kg (Ref. 40637)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: Elops senegalensis is often confused with Elops lacerta, from which it is distinguished by a smaller number of gill-rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch, being 11-15 vs. 17-19; and a greater number of small scales in the lateral line, 92-100 vs. 72-83 in E. lacerta (Ref. 2844, 81265).
Coastal pelagic species, occurring inshore and some way up the tidal rivers to the edge of the shelf (Ref. 4445). Feeds on fish and shrimps (Ref. 28587).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Schneider, W., 1990. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the commercial marine resources of the Gulf of Guinea. Prepared and published with the support of the FAO Regional Office for Africa. Rome: FAO. 268 p. (Ref. 2683)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 23.8 - 28, mean 26.7 °C (based on 68 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5176 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00589 (0.00258 - 0.01345), b=2.99 (2.79 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.60 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (56 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 82.5 [50.8, 150.0] mg/100g; Iron = 0.998 [0.608, 1.728] mg/100g; Protein = 16.9 [14.4, 20.0] %; Omega3 = 0.185 [0.104, 0.343] g/100g; Selenium = 52.1 [26.1, 113.1] μg/100g; VitaminA = 14.8 [6.0, 36.4] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.1 [0.8, 1.5] mg/100g (wet weight);