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EveryFish
Thryssa mystax

Moustached thryssa

Small silver anchovy of the Indo-Pacific with a dark gill blotch.

Photo: BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The moustached thryssa is a small schooling fish in the anchovy family. It inhabits tropical waters from India to Indonesia. This species feeds on plankton and larvae in shallow coastal zones.

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  • Max length is 15.5 cm
  • Dark blotch behind gill identifies species
  • Found in western Indo-Pacific waters
  • Feeds on plankton and larvae
  • Lives at depths up to 50 m

What it is

This ray-finned fish belongs to the anchovy family. It has a slender silver body that appears darker on its back. A key feature is a dark spot behind the upper gill opening. The tail fin shows a yellowish tint. Adults grow no larger than 15.5 cm. The belly carries 24 to 32 keeled scutes running from the throat to the vent. Dorsal fins hold 11 or 12 soft rays while anal fins have 29 to 37.

Where it lives

The species lives in the tropical western Indo-Pacific. Its distribution spans from India and Sri Lanka eastward to Myanmar. The range extends south to Java and other parts of Indonesia. These fish occupy marine environments rather than fresh water. They are typically found at depths reaching 50 metres. This habitat places them on continental shelves and coastal zones within these warm regions.

How it lives

It forms schools as a survival strategy. The diet consists mainly of planktonic organisms. It also consumes fish larvae and small crustaceans such as shrimp larvae. The lower gill rakers are serrated which helps in filtering food. Being oceanodromous it moves through open sea areas. Predators likely include larger pelagic fish though specific threats are not detailed in the available data.

Moustached thryssa
A drawing made by EveryFish from what this page says. It is a diagram, not a picture of the real fish.
Ikan kasai tanda kering, turut dikenali sebagai ikan bulu ayam kering atau ikan satay
Ikan kasai tanda kering, turut dikenali sebagai ikan bulu ayam kering atau ikan satay. Photo: Wiki Farazi, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Questions people ask about Moustached thryssa

How big does the moustached thryssa get?

This small fish reaches a maximum length of 15.5 cm. It remains quite diminutive compared to larger marine species. Most individuals stay within this size limit throughout their lives.

Where can you find this anchovy?

It inhabits the tropical western Indo-Pacific. Specific locations include waters off India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Indonesia. It prefers coastal areas at depths up to 50 metres.

What does the moustached thryssa eat?

Its diet includes plankton and fish larvae. It also feeds on small crustaceans like shrimp larvae. Serrated gill rakers assist in capturing these tiny prey items.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Thryssa mystax", 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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