Striped piggy (Pomadasys stridens)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Haemulidae · Genus: Pomadasys.

Accepted name: Pomadasys stridens · Authority: (Forsskål, 1775) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 126948.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Rhonciscus stridens (Forsskål, 1775); Sciaena stridens Forsskål, 1775.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126948 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Pomadasys stridens. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 20 cm · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 35.1 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Inhabits coastal waters (Ref. 30573). Feeds on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 5213).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 7708) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pomadasys-stridens.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

218 georeferenced occurrence records for Pomadasys stridens are published through GBIF from 23 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 57 distinct locations from a sample of 218 records, omitting 40 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Israel (48); Greece (39); Mozambique (26); Türkiye (21); Pakistan (16); Egypt (15); Cyprus (13); Chinese Taipei (6); Iran (Islamic Republic of) (5); United Arab Emirates (4); Kuwait (4); India (3); Jordan (3); Saudi Arabia (3); Lebanon (2).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: European waters (ERMS scope); Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone; Tanzanian Exclusive Economic Zone; South Africa (country); Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Mediterranean Sea; Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Turkish part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Cypriote part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Turkish part of the Aegean Sea; Syrian part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Algerian part of the Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin; Greek part of the Aegean Sea.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2382872) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2382872&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126948 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Pomadasys stridens (Forsskål, 1775) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 18161519) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18161519/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2382872) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2382872/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pomadasys stridens has a silvery body which is slightly darker dorsally than it is ventrally. It has 3-4 golden-brown stripes along its body, merging towards the caudal peduncle, and a dark blotch on the operculum.

It has a relatively large head with a small, slightly oblique mouth and two pores on the tip of the chin which lie in front of a short indentation. It has 12 spines and 13–14 soft rays in the dorsal fin with 3 spines and 3 soft rays in the anal fin. It grows up to 23 cm standard length but averages 10 cm, with females normally growing to a slightly larger size than males.

Distribution

Pomadasys stridens is indigenous to the western Indian Ocean from the Red Sea south along the eastern African coast to South Africa, east to the western coast of India, including the Persian Gulf, Lakshadweep archipelago and the Maldives; it is also found off Madagascar, the Seychelles and Mascarene islands. Recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean in 1969 in the Gulf of Genoa, it was later found in the Bardawil Lagoon in Egypt and extended north in Levantine waters with a known population off İskenderun, Turkey.

Habitat

Pomadasys stridens is found in waters over sandy and muddy substrates down to a depth of 55m, but has been associated with reefs and with rocky tidal pools.

Biology

Pomadasys stridens spawns between December and March in the Persian Gulf, while in the Mediterranean it takes place during the summer, and the fish form pairs during spawning. It is a carnivorous species and the crustaceans, molluscs, small fish and polychaete worms make up the majority of its diet. It is a social species and fish in larger groups fed better than those in smaller groups.

Fisheries

Pomadasys stridens is not regarded as a food fish in South Africa where it may be caught as a bait fish but it is regarded as a commercially important food fish in the northern Indian Ocean in areas such as the Gulf of Aqaba, Persian Gulf and the Bitter Lakes in Egypt.

Source: Wikipedia: Pomadasys stridens — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomadasys_stridens (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.