Silver Moony

Monodactylus argenteus

Silver Moony

Monodactylus argenteus

Other Common Names
Diamondfish, Silver Batfish

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Diamondfish, Silver Batfish

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

Adult silver moony fish are recognizable by their diamond shaped body, silvery color, and dark tips on their dorsal and anal fins. Juveniles have two vertical black bands over their head. Their pelvic fins grow smaller or disappear with age.

The silver moony can grow up to 25 cm.

Habitat

Bays, mangrove estuaries, tidal creeks and lower parts of freshwater stream; occasionally found in silty coastal reef

Diet

Plankton, algae and dead organic matter

Life History

Silver moony are commonly seen in schools or groups. This species is also highly territorial.

This species reaches maturity once they grow to about 13 cm. Adults tend to migrate to the open ocean to spawn. Eggs and sperm are released in the water. The fertilized eggs float and drift with ocean currents. Once hatched, they begin a larval stage where they continue to develop and become better swimmers.

Eventually juveniles return to areas like estuaries with brackishwater–water with higher salinity than freshwater but less salinity than seawater.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

This species is commercially sought after for sale and consumption in local markets.

Due to its tolerance for varying salinities, the mono argentus is a valuable species for scientific research.

This species also plays a role in the food webs of the several habitats they live in.

In the waters of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf and the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa, South Africa, Mozambique Channel, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to the Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands and Samoa. It is also found in southern Japan, Western Australia and New Caledonia.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

The silver moony is a euryhaline species meaning they are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities.

Citations & Other Resources

Azeroual, A., F. Kaymaram, E. Abdulqader, H. Alnazry, M. Al-Husaini, M. Almukhtar, S. Hartmann, S. Alam & J.S. Sparks. 2017. Monodactylus argenteus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.
Allen, G. R., and Western Australian Museum. 2009. Field guide to marine fishes of tropical Australia and South-East Asia (4th ed.). Western Australian Museum.
Himebaugh, N. E., Passingham, R. K., Cabot, M. L., Gaudette, C., Knight, L. N., Lewbart, G. A., Armwood, A. R., and A. Oh. 2024. Investigating the etiology of ocular changes in Monodactylus argenteus housed in a shoaling ring exhibit. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 262(S2), S113–S122. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.24.05.0346
Kang, C.-K., F.-C. Liu, W.-B Chang, and T.-H. Lee. 2012. Effects of low environmental salinity on the cellular profiles and expression of Na+, K+-ATPase and Na+, K+, 2Cl− cotransporter 1 of branchial mitochondrion-rich cells in the juvenile marine fish Monodactylus argenteus. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 38(3), 665–678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-011-9549-1
Thomas, D., M.U. Rekha, J.R.J. Angel, G.B. Sreekanth, G. Thiagarajan, R. Subburaj, M. Kailasam,and K.K. Vijayan. 2021. Effects of salinity amendments on the embryonic and larval development of a tropical brackishwater ornamental silver moony fish, Monodactylus argenteus (Linnaeus, 1758). Aquaculture, 544, 737073-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.737073
Taquet, M., and A. Diringer. 2013. Fishes of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea (1st ed.). Editions Quae.

Silver Moony

Silver Moony

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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