# Alectis

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Genus of fish

Alectis Temporal range: 55–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Eocene to Present[1] juvenile Alectis ciliaris Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Carangiformes Suborder: Carangoidei Family: Carangidae Subfamily: Caranginae Genus: Alectis Rafinesque, 1815 Type species Alectis ciliaris (Bloch, 1787) Species See Text Synonyms Gallus (Lacépède, 1802) Scyris (Cuvier, 1829)

***Alectis*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [fish](/source/Fish) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Carangidae](/source/Carangidae) containing three [extant](/source/Extant_taxon) [species](/source/Species), all of which are large [marine](/source/Marine_(ocean)) fishes. They are commonly known as **threadfish**, **diamond trevallies** or **pompanos**, although they have no close affiliation with the true [pompano](/source/Pompano) genus.

## Taxonomy

*Alectis* is one of 33 genera in the jack and horse mackerel family [Carangidae](/source/Carangidae). The Carangidae are [ray-finned fishes](/source/Ray-finned_fish) in the [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Carangiformes](/source/Carangiformes).[2]

The first fish in the genus to be described was *[Alectis ciliaris](/source/Alectis_ciliaris)* under the genus name of *Zeus*, part of the [dory](/source/List_of_fishes_known_as_dory) family. [Lacépède](/source/Bernard_Germain_%C3%89tienne_de_la_Ville%2C_Comte_de_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de) recognized the species was not a dory and assigned it to a new genus, *[Gallus](/source/Gallus_(bird))*, however this was preoccupied by a [bird](/source/Bird).[3] In 1815, [Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque) proposed the name *Alectis* in an obscure publication. [Georges Cuvier](/source/Georges_Cuvier) used another generic name, *Scyris*, for the genus in 1829, but the name *Alectis* was rediscovered by [James Douglas Ogilby](/source/James_Douglas_Ogilby) in 1913[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] and had [priority](/source/Priority_(biology)).[4] The name *Alectis* is derived from one of three [Erinyes](/source/Erinyes) in the [Greek mythology](/source/Greek_mythology); daughter of [Acheronte](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acheronte&action=edit&redlink=1) with a terrible rage.[5]

A single species has been identified the [fossil record](/source/Fossil_record), *[Alectis simus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alectis_simus&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Stinton, 1979), from the [Eocene](/source/Eocene) period of England. It was found alongside a number of extinct and extant carangid genera including *Caranx* and *Usacaranx* (extinct).[6]

## Species

There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[5]

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Alectis alexandrina (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817) Alexandria pompano tropical eastern Atlantic Ocean, inhabiting the waters of West Africa from Morocco around to Angola Alectis ciliaris (Bloch, 1787) African pompano east and west coasts of the US, South America and Africa, throughout the Indian Ocean and along Asia and Australia, as well as many islands in the Pacific. Alectis indica (Ruppell, 1830) Indian threadfish the tropical regions of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, ranging from Madagascar, east Africa and the Red Sea to India, China, South East Asia, north to Japan and south to Indonesia and northern Australia

## Biology

The fish of the genus are large, powerful fishes that look very similar to a number of other large [jacks](/source/Carangidae), with the main difference being the profile of the head and the characteristic long filamentous [anal](/source/Anal_fin) and [dorsal fins](/source/Dorsal_fins) displayed by [juveniles](/source/Juvenile_(organism)) of these species. They are generally a silver colour, with pale green to [hyaline](/source/Hyaline) fins. *A. indica* is the largest of the genus, growing to a reported 165 cm and 25 kg in weight.[7]

The genus has a [circum-tropical](/source/Tropics) distribution, with adults generally restricted to [reefs](/source/Reef) in [coastal](/source/Coastal) areas down to 100 m, while juveniles are often [pelagic](/source/Pelagic).[4] All three are [predators](/source/Predator) of small fishes, [cephalopods](/source/Cephalopod) and [crustaceans](/source/Crustacean). A little is known of their reproductive habits and larval phases, with [spawning](/source/Spawn_(biology)) occurring during [daylight](/source/Daylight) between pairs.[8]

## Relationship to humans

The genus is of minor importance to both [commercial](/source/Fishery) and [subsistence](/source/Subsistence_economy) fisheries, with the species generally not numerous enough to warrant a specific fishery.[4] All species are considered fine [game fish](/source/Game_fish), attaining large sizes and capable of blistering runs. The [flesh](/source/Fish_(food)) of the genus is generally considered very good for [culinary](/source/Culinary) purposes, although at least one species has been implicated in a case of [Ciguatera](/source/Ciguatera) poisoning.[9] In [Singapore](/source/Singapore), *A. indica* has successfully been bred in [aquaculture](/source/Aquaculture) for food production in relatively low numbers. Juveniles are occasionally used in [saltwater aquariums](/source/Saltwater_aquarium), noted for their filamentous anal and dorsal fins.[10]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Sepkoski, Jack (2002). ["A compendium of fossil marine animal genera"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110723131237/http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class). *Bulletins of American Paleontology*. **363**: 1–560. Archived from [the original](http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2007-12-31.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Nelson5_2-0)** J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). [*Fishes of the World*](https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194051/https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/) (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 380–387. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-118-34233-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-118-34233-6). Archived from [the original](https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/) on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-11-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Zoocat_3-0)** Hosese, D.F.; Bray, D.J.; Paxton, J.R.; Alen, G.R. (2007). *Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol. 35 (2) Fishes*. Sydney: CSIRO. p. 1150. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-643-09334-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-643-09334-8).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FAO_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FAO_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FAO_4-2) Carpenter, Kent E.; Niem, Volker H., eds. (2001). [*FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae)*](ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/y4160e/y4160e00.pdf) (PDF). Rome: FAO. p. 2684. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [92-5-104587-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/92-5-104587-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FishBase_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FishBase_5-1) [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["Species in genus *Alectis*"](https://www.fishbase.org/identification/SpeciesList.php?genus=Alectis). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. February 2021 version.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Stinton, F.C. (1979). "Fish Otoliths from the English UK Eocene". *Palaeontographical Society Monographs*. **133** (558). London: 191–258. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1979MPalS.133..191S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1979MPalS.133..191S). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/25761900.2022.12131743](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F25761900.2022.12131743). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [88762143](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:88762143).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Gunn_7-0)** Gunn, John S. (1990). ["A revision of selected genera of the family Carangidae (Pisces) from Australian waters"](https://doi.org/10.3853%2Fj.0812-7387.12.1990.92). *Records of the Australian Museum*. Supplement 12: 1–78. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3853/j.0812-7387.12.1990.92](https://doi.org/10.3853%2Fj.0812-7387.12.1990.92).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** von Westernhagen, H. (1974). "Observations on the natural spawning of *Alectis indicus* (Rüppell) and *Caranx ignobilis* (Forsk.) (Carangidae)". *Journal of Fish Biology*. **6** (4): 513–516. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1974JFBio...6..513W](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1974JFBio...6..513W). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1095-8649.1974.tb04567.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.1974.tb04567.x).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Bourdeau, P.; Bagnis, R. (1989). ["Facteurs de risque ciguatérique aux Antilles dans la région de Saint-Barthélémy, Saint-Martin et Anguilla"](https://doi.org/10.19182%2Fremvt.8799) [Risk factors of ciguatera in the French West Indies in Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Martin and Anguilla]. *Revue d'élevage et de médecine vétérinaire des pays tropicaux* (in French). **42** (3): 393–410. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.19182/remvt.8799](https://doi.org/10.19182%2Fremvt.8799). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [2485547](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2485547).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Pet education. ["Indian threadfin"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060304165820/http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1883&articleid=1944). *Fish*. Foster & Smith, Inc. Archived from [the original](http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1883&articleid=1944) on 2006-03-04. Retrieved 2007-10-23.

## External links

- [*Alectis* at Fishbase](http://www.fishbase.org/Eschmeyer/GeneraSummary.cfm?ID=Alectis)

Taxon identifiers Alectis Wikidata: Q2963482 Wikispecies: Alectis ADW: Alectis AFD: Alectis BioLib: 126958 BOLD: 3541 CoL: C8T29 EoL: 46577953 GBIF: 2390536 iNaturalist: 86315 IRMNG: 1441051 ITIS: 168600 NCBI: 179357 Open Tree of Life: 115529 Paleobiology Database: 35931 WoRMS: 125933

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alectis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alectis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alectis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.