Breams (Threadfin Breams)

Members of the Nemipteridae family are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific. They are distinguished by having a single continuous dorsal fin, with 10 spines and 9 soft rays, and anal fin with 3 spines and 7 to 8 soft rays. Their color are extremely variable, but often pinkish or reddish with red, yellow or blue markings.

Nemipterids are carnivorous bottom-living fishes feeding mainly on other small fishes, cephalopods, crustaceans, and polychaetes. They can be solitary or schooling and do not appear to be territorial.Worldwide, there are 5 genera and about 66 species. The 5 genera are Nemipterus (Threadfin Breams), Parascolopsis (Dwarf Monocle Breams), Pentapodus (Whiptails), Scaevius (Coral Breams) and Scolopsis (Monocle Breams).

Threadfin Breams or Nemipterus are distinguished by not having suborbital spine and 3 transverse scale rows on preopercle. There are approximately 19 species of Threadfin Breams found in Malaysian waters.

Scientific Name: Nemipterus furcosus (Valenciennes, 1830)
English Name: Fork-tailed Threadfin Bream, Rosy Threadfin Bream
Mandarin Name: 红哥里 (Hóng gē lǐ), 红金线鱼 (Hóng jīn xiàn yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kerisi, Kerisi Merah Ros
Local Hokkien: Ang Goh Li
Local Teochew: Ang Nee
Main Diagnostic Features: Nine indistinct cross bar present on dorsal of body. White strip present on lower lobe of caudal fin.
Size: Maximum standard length 22.5 cm, commonly to 18 cm.

Fork-tailed Threadfin Bream, Rosy Threadfin Bream, Nemipterus furcosus

Scientific Name: Nemipterus japonicus (Bloch, 1791)
English Name: Japanese Threadfin Bream
Mandarin Name: 红哥里 (Hóng gē lǐ), 日本金线鱼 (Rìběn jīn xiàn yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kerisi, Kerisi Jepun
Local Hokkien: Ang Goh Li
Local Teochew: Ang Nee
Main Diagnostic Features: Upper lobe of caudal fin slightly longer than lower lobe and produced into a short or moderately long yellow filament. A prominent red-suffused yellow blotch below origin of lateral line. Eleven or twelve pale golden yellow stripes along body from behind head to base of caudal fin.
Size: Maximum standard length 25 cm, commonly to 15 cm.

Japanese Threadfin Bream, Nemipterus japonicus

Scientific Name: Nemipterus peronii (Valenciennes, 1830)
English Name: Notchedfin Threadfin Bream
French Name: Cohana tolu
Spanish Name: Baga tolú
Mandarin Name: 红哥里 (Hóng gē lǐ), 菲氏金线鱼 (Fēi shì jīn xiàn yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kerisi, Kerisi Merah
Local Hokkien: Ang Goh Li
Local Teochew: Ang Nee
Main Diagnostic Features: Elongated dorsal fin spines with deeply incised interspinous membrane. A diffuse pale reddish spot below and just behind origin of lateral line and a golden yellow stripe on snout in front of eye passing through nostrils.
Size: Maximum standard length 26.5 cm, commonly to 17 cm.