English Name: Fork-tailed threadfin bream
Family: NEMIPTERIDAE
Local Name: Dhon kandu uniya
Order: Perciformes
Size: Max. 22.5 cm
Specimen: MRS/0443/96
Distinctive Characters: Dorsal fin with 10 spines and 9 rays. Anal fin with 3 spines and 7 rays. Pectoral fin with 2 unbranched and 13-16 branched rays. Body depth 3.0-3.9 in standard length. Pelvic fins moderately long, reaching to or short of anus. A line drawn upwards from posterior edge of sub-orbital reaching the dorsal profile at about origin of dorsal fin. Caudal fin deeply forked.
Colour: Head and body pale irridescent pink. Back with 9 indistinct cross bars. Caudal fin pale rosy, the lower margin white-edged. Pelvic fins and axillary scales white. Dorsal and pectoral fins rosy.
Habitat and Biology: Benthic species. Inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms in depths of 8 to 110 m. Feeds during the day, mostly on crustaceans and small fishes.
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific.
Remarks: Nemipterusfurcosus is not a commonly caught species in the Maldives. However, it does appear in the Male fish market occasionally.