Spotted sicklefish
A silvery Indo-Pacific fish with vertical black spots and sickle-shaped fins.
The spotted sicklefish is a ray-finned species in the family Drepaneidae. It inhabits coastal waters across the Indo-West Pacific, from India to Japan and Australia. This fish features a deep, compressed body with distinctive black spots and long pectoral fins.
- Maximum length reaches 50 cm, though 25 cm is more common.
- Body features vertical lines of black spots on a silvery background.
- Long pectoral fins are sickle-shaped and extend to the tail base.
- Found in coastal waters, reefs, and estuaries across the Indo-Pacific.
- Lives at depths between 10 and 49 metres over sand or mud.
What it is
This ray-finned fish belongs to the family Drepaneidae, known as sicklefishes. It has an oval, deeply compressed body that is deeper than it is long. The head and body are silvery, marked by five to ten vertical lines of black spots on the upper section. Its most striking feature is the long, sickle-shaped pectoral fin, which reaches back to the tail base. A bony knob sits between the eyes, and the chin bears a fringe of small sensory filaments. The mouth can extend into a tube facing downwards, lined with thin, pointed teeth on the jaws but not the roof of the mouth.
Where it lives
The species lives in tropical and temperate zones of the Indo-West Pacific. Its range extends from India eastward through Indonesia, the Philippines, and New Guinea. Northern limits include Taiwan and Japan, while southern populations reach northern Australia. These fish inhabit coastal environments over sand or mud bottoms. They are found in reefs, estuaries, and harbours at depths between 10 and 49 metres. This habitat preference places them in both marine and brackish water settings.
Questions people ask about Spotted sicklefish
What does the spotted sicklefish look like?
It has a deep, silvery body with vertical rows of black spots. The pectoral fins are long and sickle-shaped. A bony knob is present between the eyes, and the chin has a fringe of cirrhi.
Where is this fish found?
It inhabits the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from India to Japan and northern Australia. It lives in coastal waters, reefs, estuaries, and harbours at depths of 10 to 49 metres.
How large does the spotted sicklefish grow?
The maximum recorded length is 50 cm. However, individuals are typically around 25 cm long. The body is deeply compressed, meaning it is taller than it is wide.
Good reading and sources
- Drepane punctata on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Drepane punctata", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.
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