mangrove - Discover fishes living in these biotopes

Alosa fallax, also known as twait shad, is a shad species native to Europe. Adults live in the sea and migrate to estuaries only for reproduction. Found in the Eastern temperate Atlantic, they face challenges from dams, pollution, and coastal overfishing. Juveniles gather in estuaries and feed near the shore.

With its characteristic reticulated pattern, this pufferfish can be found from India to New Caledonia. Solitary in nature, it often rests on muddy bottoms during the day and feeds on invertebrates, corals, and algae at night. Like its cousins, it has the ability to inflate and produce toxins.

Young blue runners seek refuge in floating sargassum rafts. These algae provide them with both shelter from predators and abundant food, a key passage before joining adult coastal schools.

A powerful predator of the Atlantic, the crevalle jack lives in fast-moving schools or solitarily as an adult. Juveniles frequent estuaries and seagrass beds before moving to coastal and offshore waters where they hunt fish and shrimp.

Carcharhinus falciformis, known as the silky shark, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas. However, this species is threatened due to overfishing, and is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Recognizable by its elongated and slender body, gray back, and white belly, this fast and aggressive predator feeds on fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.

The bull shark is listed in most tropical and subtropical seas. It is feared due to its propensity to attack humans, being responsible for most recorded fatal attacks to date. This active predator primarily hunts in murky waters. It is capable of swimming long distances and adapts to changes in salinity, frequenting estuaries, coves along the coasts, and waters with high turbidity.

The Malabar grouper is a fish native to the Indo-Pacific region. Adults can reach considerable sizes, with recorded catches of individuals over 150 cm and 50 kg. Sought after for the quality of its flesh, this species is captured through various methods such as line fishing, trawling, longlining, traps, and even harpooning. In Hong Kong, it is sold as an ornamental fish. The species has nearly disappeared from several historical regions and is currently heavily overexploited in the waters of the Andaman Islands.

The silver moony is a common species found in various coastal habitats, from bays and mangroves to muddy coastal reefs. It primarily feeds on plankton and detritus. Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa to Polynesia and Australia, including the Persian Gulf and the freshwater zone of the Mekong Delta.

During the breeding season, the male digs a hole in the sand. A female will deposit her eggs there and then protect them in her mouth. After hatching, the young fish stay close to the adults. In case of danger, they seek refuge in their parents' mouths. It is raised in fish farms.