Description:

Body deeply oval and laterally compressed. Anterior part of dorsal profile strongly arched. Head and breast scaleless. Mouth pointing downward when protracted. Second 
dorsal- and anal-fin spines greatly elongate, sometimes reaching to caudal fin.

Colour. Silver fish, brighter ventrally than dorsally. Dorsally exhibits a few faint, unevenly spaced, and horizontally elongate blotches, becoming yellow blotches below 
the lateral line. Dorsal and anal fins with some yellow colouring. Underside of pectoral-fin base with minute black dots.

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 20 cm TL, commonly to 13 cm TL.
 

Inhabits coastal inshore waters, stays near substrate (depth 15-80 m). Schooling. Feeds on fish, crustaceans, chaetognaths, nematodes, bivalves, and gastropods.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in net fisheries such as the beach seine fishery, where it is a regular and sometimes 
abundant component of the catch.  

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2020). FishBase. Leiognathus longispinis. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/59023 (09/04/20).
Woodland, D.J. et al. (1984). Leiognathidae, FAO. http://www.fao.org/3/y0770e/y0770e04.pdf (09/04/20).

Nevill, J.E.G. (2020). Leiognathus longispinis, Longspine ponyfish. Seychelles Seatizens. https://seatizens.sc/species/leiognathus-longispinis-valenciennes-1835/ (edited 15/07/22).