Explore
Marine Life

Pilot fish

Kafihi mas
Naucrates ductor

Naucrates ductor has a semi-obligate commensal relationship with large sharks, rays, other fishes, turtles, ships, and driftwood.

Details

§ 01
size
Common to 35 cm; max. 70 cm
color
Silver-grey with 6-7 blue black bars. White tips to caudal lobes, and also on soft dorsal and anal lobes, most of fins dusky to dark.
order
Perciformes
family
Carangidae
image url
https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/naucrates-ductor.png
habitat and biology
This species is mainly found in the open ocean, and can be seen either alone, in pairs, or in groups. Young individuals often drift along with seaweed and jellyfish, and they display pilot-like behaviour.
distinctive characters
The first dorsal fin has four to five separate spines, the second dorsal fin has one spine and twenty-five to twenty-nine rays, and the anal fin has two detached spines followed by one spine and fifteen to seventeen rays. The body is elongated, shallow, and barely compressed, and the caudal peduncle lacks scutes but has a long fleshy keel on each side.
Old search API