Chirocentridae

views updated

Chirocentridae (wolfherring; subclass Actinopterygii, order Clupeiformes) A monospecific (Chirocentrus dorab) family of marine, warm- to temperate-water fish. The wolfherring has an elongate body, a large mouth with fang-like teeth, and a single dorsal fin located close to the forked tail fin. A voracious carnivore, it is a very large, silvery fish, reaching a length of up to 3.5 m, and is widely distributed in Indo-Pacific waters.