pugnose ponyfish
Deveximentum insidiator
- Usual depth15–50 m
- Water temperature23–29 °C
- Best monthsNovember
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Manoj Karingamadathil, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
Deveximentum insidiator or previously Secutor insidiator, the pugnose ponyfish or barred ponyfish, is a species of ray-finned fish, a ponyfish in the family Leiognathidae. The barred ponyfish's mineralized skeleton contains apatite and the mineralized tissue contains hydroxylapatite. They have bare heads with nuchal spines and their bodies are a distinctive, reflective silver, frequently imitated by fishermen using silver lures. They have a protracted mouth pointing upward and the tip of the maxilla reaches well below the level of the lower margin of the eye. Barred ponyfish feed on zooplankton, including larval fishes and crustaceans. Body depth is twice or slightly more than standard length, which measures 11.3 cm (4.4 in) from the tip of the snout to last vertebra. The lateral line ends before the dorsal fin.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Deveximentum insidiator”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 9 records
- February: 22 records
- March: 11 records
- April: 31 records
- May: 16 records
- June: 16 records
- July: 22 records
- August: 15 records
- September: 22 records
- October: 15 records
- November: 129 records
- December: 27 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 15–50 m · Deepest record: 135.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 23–29 °C
Photos
(c) Manoj Karingamadathil, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) renjus box, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) renjus box, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- pugnose ponyfish, Slender Soapy
Names in 2 more languages
- Thai
- ปลาแป้นปากหมู
- Simplified Chinese
- 碗米仔, 金錢仔, 長吻仰口鰏, 靜仰口鰏(靜鰏)
Other scientific names: Equula insidiator, Equula insidiatrix, Leiognathus insidiator, Secutor insiadiator, Secutor insidator, Secutor insidiator, Secutor insidiatur, Zeus insidiator
Similar species
- Long-spined Pony-fish
Equulites leuciscus
- Orangefin ponyfish
Photopectoralis bindus
- Elongate Ponyfish
Equulites elongatus
- Black-tipped Pony-fish
Eubleekeria splendens
- Toothpony
Gazza minuta
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 393 open-data records from 1909 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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