Ponyfishes, slipmouths or slimy fishes are members of the Leiognathidae family. They are found in the Indo-West Pacific and Mediterranean oceans. They are mainly marine fishes with some species that enter freshwater. The ponyfishes are recognized by their compressed and slimy body. Their mouth is small and highly protractile. There is also a pair of lateral elevated bony ridges on top of head between eyes.
Ponyfishes are bottom-living fishes in shallow coastal waters. They feed on copepods and phytoplankton, with large fishes feeding predominantly on benthic invertebrates.
There are 9 genera and about 48 species of Leiognathidae worldwide. Malaysia has about 22 species.
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Scientific Name: Eubleekeria jonesi (James, 1971) English Name: Jones’ Pony Fish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Mahkota Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นกระโดงจุด (Plā pæ̂n kradong cud) Main Identification Features: Cheek naked, breast almost completely scaled, semicircular naked area on nape. Prominent “brow” jutting out over eyes. Second spines of dorsal and anal fins are weak. Having a paler dark blotch on dorsal fin. A Eubleekeria splendens complex. Size: Maximum standard length about 13.9 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms. Feeds on benthic invertebrates.  Scientific Name: Eubleekeria kupanensis (Kimura & Peristiwady, 2005) English Name: Kupang Pony Fish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Mahkota Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: Prominent “brow” jutting out over eyes. A Eubleekeria splendens complex. Second spines of dorsal and anal fins are weak. Dorsolateral body surface widely naked. Size: Maximum standard length about 8 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms. Feeds on benthic invertebrates.  Scientific Name: Eubleekeria splendens (Cuvier, 1829) English Name: Splendid Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Mahkota Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นกระสวย (Plā pæ̂n kras̄wy) Main Identification Features: Prominent “brow” jutting out over eyes. Second spines of dorsal and anal fins are robust. Size: Maximum total length about 17 cm, commonly to 15 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms, to 65 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds on fish, crustaceans, foraminiferans, and bivalves.  Scientific Name: Karalla daura (Cuvier, 1829) English Name: Goldstripe Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Jalur Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: A broad yellow band over the lateral line. Dorsal fin spot jet-black. Size: Maximum total length 14 cm, commonly to 9 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms, to 40 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds on polychaetes, bivalves, small crustaceans and sponges.  Scientific Name: Leiognathus brevirostris (Valenciennes, 1835) English Name: Shortnose Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Muncung Pendek Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นเล็ก (Plā pæ̂n lĕk) Size: Maximum total length 13.5 cm, commonly to 11 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms, to 40 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds on small crustaceans, algae, copepods, nematodes and polychaetes.  Scientific Name: Leiognathus equulus (Forsskål, 1775) English Name: Common Ponyfish, Greater Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Gedabang Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นใหญ่ (Plā pæ̂n yai) Size: Maximum total length 24 cm, commonly to 18 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms, 10 to 70 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds on polychaetes, small crustaceans, small fishes.  Scientific Name: Leiognathus longispinis (Valenciennes, 1835) English Name: Longspine Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Dwifilamen Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นใหญ่ครีบยาว (Plā pæ̂n yai khrīb yāw) Main Identification Features: Second dorsal and anal fin spines greatly elongate. Size: Maximum total length 20 cm, commonly to 13 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Coastal sand and mud bottoms, 15 to 80 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds on fish, crustaceans, chaetognaths, nematodes, bivalves, and gastropods.  Scientific Name: Nuchequula flavaxilla Kimura, Kimura & Ikejima, 2008 English Name: Yellowspotted Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: A distinct yellow semicircular marking just behind pectoral fin base. Preorbital spine, not expanded distally. Elongated second dorsal fin spine, reaching beyond base of fifth soft ray when fin is appressed. Second anal fin spine elongated, extending to the base of fifth soft ray when fin appressed. Size: Maximum standard length 10.9 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms.  Scientific Name: Nuchequula longicornis Kimura, Kimura & Ikejima, 2008 English Name: Longspine Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: A distinct yellow semicircular marking just behind pectoral fin base. Preorbital spine, expanded distally. Elongated second dorsal fin spine, reaching beyond base of fifth soft ray when fin is appressed. Second anal fin spine not elongated, not extending to the base of fifth soft ray when fin appressed. Size: Maximum standard length 7.9 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Coastal inshore waters, 15 to 80 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds mainly on small crustaceans and nematodes.  Scientific Name: Nuchequula nuchalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1845) English Name: Spotnape Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Langsat Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: Upper half of body without lines or other markings. Dark blotch on nape with highly reflective silvery areas next to it. Size: Maximum total length 25 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Coastal and brackish waters. A schooling species.  Scientific Name: Photopectoralis bindus (Valenciennes, 1835) English Name: Orangefin Ponyfish, Orangefin Slipmouth Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Kekek Sirip Jingga Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: Body deep, compressed, disc-like. Body bluish-gray dorsally, brilliant silvery-white ventrally. Mouth pointing forward when protracted. Snout with black blotch. Dorsolateral body with dark irregular wavy lines or vermiculation. Upper half of dorsal-fin membranes between second and fifth spines yellow to bright orange. Size: Maximum total length 11 cm, commonly to 8 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Coastal and brackish waters, over muddy and sandy bottoms, from 2 to 160 m depth. A schooling fish, with adults usually found in large aggregations. Feeds on bottom living organism.  Scientific Name: Secutor hanedai Mochizuki & Hayashi, 1989 English Name: Haneda’s Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Sekiki Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้น (Plā pæ̂n) Main Identification Features: Mouth pointing upward when protracted. Body with a series of about 9 columns of dark blotches, spots, and horizontal bars extending to midline of sides. Size: Maximum total length about 10 cm, commonly to 7 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Coastal and brackish waters, sand and mud bottoms.  Scientific Name: Secutor insidiator (Bloch, 1787) English Name: Pugnose Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Sekiki Muncung Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นหน้าหมู (Plā pæ̂n h̄n̂ā h̄mū) Main Identification Features: Mouth pointing upward when protracted. Back greenish to brownish, with a series of 11 to 15 columns of bars and spots extending to a little below lateral line. Size: Maximum total length 10.5 cm, commonly to 8 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Sand and mud bottoms, to 50 m depth. Feeds on zooplankton including copepods, mysids, and larval fishes and crustaceans.  Scientific Name: Secutor ruconius (Hamilton, 1822) English Name: Deep Pugnose Ponyfish Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 格格 (Gégé) Local Malay Name: Ikan Kikek, Kekek, Sekiki Bulat Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาแป้นกะหลอน (Plā pæ̂n ka h̄lxn) Main Identification Features: Mouth pointing upward when protracted. Silvery body with about 10 bluish vertical bars on back extending to a little below lateral line. Size: Maximum total length almost 10 cm, commonly to 6 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Coastal and brackish waters sand and mud bottoms, to 60 m depth. A schooling species. Feeds on small crustaceans. 
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