News
SpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliamentSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliament
EveryFish
Indian threadfin

Indian threadfin

A large coastal fish with distinctive long fin filaments.

The Indian threadfin is a marine ray-finned fish found in South and Southeast Asia. It lives in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, growing up to 142 centimetres. This species supports significant fisheries across the region, valued for its fresh and preserved flesh.

Share on WhatsApp

  • Grows up to 142 centimetres in length
  • Has five distinctive pectoral filaments
  • Found from Pakistan to Borneo coasts
  • Spawns mainly between April and June
  • Important food fish in Asian fisheries

What it is

The Indian threadfin is a large marine fish with an elongated body and head. Its eye is roughly the same size as its snout length. The species features two separated dorsal fins and a deeply forked caudal fin with long, filamentous lobes. Five pectoral filaments extend from the chest, with the fifth being the longest. The upper flanks are blackish brown, darkening towards the lower body, while the snout and abdomen are black. Pectoral fin membranes are deep black with dusky yellow bases.

Where it lives

This species inhabits coastal waters across southern Asia, ranging from Pakistan to Borneo. A single specimen was recorded in Kerema Bay, Papua New Guinea, but African records are considered incorrect. It prefers shallow muddy and sandy bottoms on the continental shelf, often near estuaries. The fish enters rivers and is found at depths up to 100 metres, though it rarely stays below 55 metres.

How it lives

The Indian threadfin is carnivorous, feeding primarily on small benthic crustaceans such as prawns and crabs. As the fish grows larger, it consumes more small fishes. Studies off India show complex reproductive biology, with samples containing 40 per cent hermaphrodites, 19.3 per cent males, and 41 per cent females. This suggests a dynamic population structure regarding sex and maturity.

Breeding and life cycle

Spawning occurs in two main periods: April to June and October to November. The primary breeding season is generally April to June, although populations in southern India spawn during October and November. This seasonal variation indicates local environmental factors influence reproductive timing. The presence of hermaphrodites in sampled groups highlights unique biological traits within the species.

Fish and people

Fisheries in several Asian nations target this species heavily. Fishers use gill nets, trawls, handlines, and beach seines to catch them. The flesh is consumed fresh or preserved through freezing, drying, and smoking. Common preparation methods include baking, steaming, frying, and broiling. It remains a key quarry for local food supplies and commercial trade.

Questions people ask about Indian threadfin

Where does the Indian threadfin live?

It lives in coastal waters from Pakistan to Borneo, preferring shallow muddy or sandy substrates near estuaries. It can enter rivers and is found at depths up to 100 metres.

What does the Indian threadfin eat?

It is carnivorous, feeding mostly on small benthic crustaceans like prawns and crabs. Larger individuals also consume small fishes as part of their diet.

How is the Indian threadfin caught and eaten?

Fishers use gill nets, trawls, and handlines. The meat is eaten fresh, frozen, dried, or smoked, and prepared by frying, steaming, or baking.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Indian threadfin", 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.

Like Indian threadfin

All other fish
WorldNorthern whiting A widespread marine fish found in the Indo-Pacific, known for its silvery body and ability to bury itself in sand.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1775 WorldJarbua terapon A striped Indo-Pacific fish found in seas and rivers.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1775 WorldSpotted scat A spotted, square-bodied fish from Indo-Pacific estuaries.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1766 🇺🇸 United StatesAtlantic tarpon Large, acrobatic saltwater game fish of the Atlantic.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1847

More from Polynemidae

All of them
WorldBlackspot threadfin Small marine fish with six chest filaments and a dark side spotOther · Coasts and shelves · 1801 WorldFourfinger threadfin A large marine threadfin found in the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: the fish of the day, new pages on EveryFish, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.