Vermiculated Ponyfish, Equulites laterofenestra (Sparks & Chakrabarty 2007)

Summary:

Body silver, upper half with a greyish-brown vermiculate pattern of narrow wavy lines forming semi-circles and oval shapes (overlain with a greenish sheen), sometimes a yellow bar across top of eye, a yellow patch on the outer half of spinous anal fin, and a yellow margin on the soft dorsal and anal fins.
When fresh, males have a large translucent horn-shaped patch on the lower side.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2022, Equulites laterofenestra in Fishes of Australia, accessed 21 Mar 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5695

Vermiculated Ponyfish, Equulites laterofenestra (Sparks & Chakrabarty 2007)

More Info

Distribution	North West Shelf, Western Australia, to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, west Pacific: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan. Inhabits sandy and muddy areas in coastal and offshore waters.
Features	Dorsal fin VIII, 16; Anal fin III, 14; Gill rakers 5-6 + 13-15 = 20-21; Vertebrae 23. Body somewhat elongate, depth 30-42 % SL; jaws highly protrusible, mouth pointing downwards when extended; jaws with narrow band of villiform teeth. Anterior region of breast naked, scales extending forward onto breast below pectoral fin; suborbital naked. Second dorsal-fin spine distinctly elongate. When freshly caught males have a large translucent horn-shaped patch on the lower side.
Colour	Body silver, upper half with a greyish-brown vermiculate pattern of narrow wavy lines forming semi-circles and oval shapes (overlain with a greenish sheen); sometimes a yellow bar across top of eye ; outer half of spinous anal fin yellow; margins of soft dorsal and anal fins yellow; no yellow blotches on sides.
Etymology	The specific name laterofenestra is from the Latin lateralis (= lateral, side), and fenestra (= window), in reference to expansive translucent lateral flank patch in males.
Species Citation	Photoplagios laterofenestra Sparks & Chakrabarty 2007, Copeia 2007(3): 624, figs 3-4. Type locality: Philippines, Samar Sea, Carigara Bay, 0– 86 m depth, 11°55'42"N, 124°28'48"E to 11°53'48"N,124°29'06"E.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Vermiculated Ponyfish, Equulites laterofenestra (Sparks & Chakrabarty 2007)

References

Casten, L.R. & Alava, M.N. 2011. Equulites laterofenestra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T180129A7645066. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T180129A7645066.en. Accessed on 04 October 2022.

Kimura, S., Motomura, H. & Iwatsuki, Y. 2008. Equulites Fowler 1904, a senior synonym of Photoplagios Sparks, Dunlap, and Smith 2005 (Perciformes: Leiognathidae). Ichthyological Research 55: 204–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0041-6

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls. (as Leiognathus sp.)

Sparks, J.S. & Chakrabarty, P. 2007. A new species of ponyfish (Teleostei: Leiognathidae: Photoplagios) from the Philippines. Copeia 2007(3): 622-629 https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2007)2007[622:ANSOPT]2.0.CO;2

Suzuki, H. & Kimura, S. 2017. Taxonomic revision of the Equulites elongatus (Günther 1874) species group (Perciformes: Leiognathidae) with the description of a new species. Ichthyological Research 64(3): 339–352 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-017-0572-9

Woodland, D.J., Premcharoen, S. & Cabanban, A.S. 2001. Leiognathidae. pp. 2792-2823 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 5 2791-3379 pp. (as Leiognathus sp. 2)