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The species names / identity need verification. The original plates showed the fishes facing right and have been flipped here. Polynemus paradiseus

Paradise threadfin

A yellow-finned ray-finned fish from South and Southeast Asia.

Photo: George Henry Ford, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This medium-sized catadromous fish lives in rivers and coastal waters across South and Southeast Asia. It is prized as food in eastern India and Myanmar, migrating to fresh water to spawn.

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  • Max length reaches 30 cm
  • Seven bright yellow pectoral filaments
  • Migrates to fresh water to spawn
  • Key food fish in eastern India
  • Found from Pakistan to Philippines

What it is

The paradise threadfin is a ray-finned fish belonging to the Polynemidae family. It grows to a maximum length of 30 centimetres, though 17 centimetres is more typical. The body features a pointed snout and a nearly horizontal dorsal profile on the head. Two distinct dorsal fins sit on its back, with the first containing eight spines. The pectoral fins have seven long filaments that can exceed twice the standard body length. Colouration includes greyish-black upper parts and vivid yellow lower sections, particularly on the pelvic and pectoral fins.

Where it lives

This species inhabits the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from Pakistan to the Philippines. Records exist for both coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. In India, it occupies the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins. Indonesian sightings are limited to Sumatra, though this requires verification. Its presence in Malaysia remains uncertain. The fish moves between marine and freshwater environments, utilising estuaries and offshore zones with sandy bottoms.

How it lives

As a carnivore, the paradise threadfin consumes crustaceans, small fishes, and benthic organisms. It displays separate sexes with no signs of hermaphroditism. The fish is catadromous, meaning it lives in salt or brackish water but migrates into rivers to reproduce. It frequents offshore waters down to depths of 27 metres. The lateral line runs from the gill slit to the tail, containing between 66 and 71 pored scales.

Breeding and life cycle

Spawning occurs in fresh water, necessitating regular migration from coastal areas. Populations in the Hooghly River are believed to breed between April and September. Females examined in October are typically spent, indicating the spawning season has concluded. This reproductive cycle drives the movement of adults into river systems during specific months.

Paradise threadfin
A drawing made by EveryFish from what this page says. It is a diagram, not a picture of the real fish.

Fish and people

Fisheries in eastern India and Myanmar value this species highly. It serves as an important food source for local communities. The vivid yellow colouring of its fins makes it distinctive among caught specimens. Commercial fishing targets it in regions where it migrates into rivers and estuaries.

Paradise threadfin (Polynemus paradiseus) selling in Kolkata market, West Bengal, India
Paradise threadfin (Polynemus paradiseus) selling in Kolkata market, West Bengal, India. Photo: Salil Kumar Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Questions people ask about Paradise threadfin

Where does the paradise threadfin live?

It inhabits the Indo-Pacific region, including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It lives in estuaries, offshore waters, and freshwater rivers.

What does the paradise threadfin eat?

This carnivorous species feeds on crustaceans, small fishes, and benthic organisms found on the sea floor. It hunts in sandy substrates within estuaries and offshore zones.

Why is it called catadromous?

Catadromous fish live in salt or brackish water but migrate into fresh water to reproduce. The paradise threadfin follows this pattern, moving from coastal areas into rivers like the Ganges to spawn.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Paradise 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.

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Photo credits on this page

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

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