Wolf herring
From Free net encyclopedia
{{Taxobox
| color = pink
| name = Wolf herrings
| image = Dorab wolf-herring.png
| image_width = 200px
| image_caption = Dorab wolf-herring
| regnum = Animalia
| phylum = Chordata
| classis = Actinopterygii
| ordo = Clupeiformes
| familia = Chirocentridae
| genus = Chirocentrus
| genus_authority = Cuvier, 1816
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
Chirocentrus dorab
Chirocentrus nudus
}}
The wolf herrings are a family (Chirocentridae) of two marine species of ray-finned fish related to the herrings.
Both species have elongated bodies and jaws with long sharp teeth that facilitate their ravenous appetites, mostly for other fish. Both species reach a length of 1 meter. They have silvery sides and bluish backs.
They are commercially fished, and marketed fresh or frozen.
The Dorab wolf-herring Chirocentrus dorab is found in warm coastal waters from the Red Sea to Japan and Australia.
The whitefin wolf-herring Chirocentrus nudus is found in a similar range, and is difficult to distinguish from C. dorab (the former has a black mark on its dorsal fin). This species is also known to eat crabs in addition to its usual diet of smaller fish.