Description:

Dorsal spines: 9; Dorsal rays: 13; Anal spines: 2; Anal rays: 11-12.

Elongate, relatively oblong, compressed body with broad peduncle. Eyes with adipose tissue. Conical snout, projecting beyond the large mouth. Maxilla 
expanded posteriorly, reaching to well behind eye and reaching or slightly beyond posterior margin of adipose eyelid. Lower lip well-developed. Pectoral 
fin posterior tip not reaching to level of posterior tip of pelvic fin. Caudal fin deeply forked, lobes non filamentous, upper lobe longer than and lower 
lobe. Lateral line simple, extending from upper end of gill opening to upper end of lower caudal-fin lobe; scale rows above lateral line 8 or 9.
 
Colour. Golden, dusky olive brown above lighter below, abdominal region white. Scale rows each with a dark line. Fins dusky. Body with 7 or 8 prominent 
dark stripes along the longitudinal scale rows above lateral line and 7-9 faint stripes below. Snout semi-transparent. First and second dorsal fins and 
caudal fin pale with blackish posterior margins. Pectoral-fin membrane blackish. Anterior margins and origins of pelvic and anal fins white, other parts 
dusky yellowish. 

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 45 cm SL. Commonly to 30 cm TL. 
 

Occurs over muddy bottoms of the continental shelf, along shallow, sandy or muddy coastal beaches, as well as estuaries, to relatively deep waters 
(depth ?-122 m). Forms loosely-associated schools. Feeds on small crustaceans, fishes and other benthic organisms. 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in net fisheries, but is an uncommon component of the catch.  
 

Species first documented in Seychelles 29/07/13, J. Nevill. 
 

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) 2019. FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/7901 (07/08/19).
Motomura, H. (2004). Threadfins of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of polynemid species known to date. Family Polynemidae. FAO Species 
Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 3. Rome, FAO. 2004. 117 p., 151 figs, 6 pls. ISBN 92-5-105128-3

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Polydactylus plebeius, Striped threadfin. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/polydactylus-plebeius-broussonet-1782/ (edited 23/08/22).