Family : Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes) , subfamily: Trichiurinae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Savalani hairtail
Fish Name : Lepturacanthus savala
Max size : 100.0 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 6042)
Environment : benthopelagic; amphidromous ; depth range - 100 m
Climate : tropical; 36°N - 17°S
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.7)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: India and Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia, north to China, and south to New Guinea and northern Australia.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 3-4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 110-120. Pelvic and caudal fins absent; anal fin reduced to spinules (about 75). Lateral line running nearer the ventral than the dorsal contour of the body. Color is steely blue with metallic reflections; the tapering part white. The margin of the anus pale; usually the margin of the caudal-fin membrane white; tip of both jaws black; the inside of the opercle and the anterior part of the shoulder girdle, pale black.
Biology : Inhabits coastal waters and often comes near the surface at night. Feeds on a variety of small fishes and crustaceans (chiefly on prawns and species of Setippina, Anchoviella, Harpodon, Trichiurus etc. in Hooghly estuaries in India). Caught mainly with shore seines, bagnets and coastal bottom trawls in Asian countries. Marketed fresh and iced as well as dried salted
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator : Parin, Nikolay V.
Main Ref : Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin. 1993. (Ref. 6181)

India country information
Common Names : Small headed ribbon fish, बाऐय, बाळा, वागती, சவாளை, തലയന്, ஓலவாளை, சாவாளை, കറൂപ്പ് തളാന്, மச்சவாளை, വെള്ളസവാള, വെള്ളതലയന്, വെളളിവളയന്, கார்த்திகை வாளை, വെളളത്തലയന്, വെളളപാന്വാട, యెల్లసవాళ్ళు, കറുപ്പുതലയന്, കറുപ്പുസ്വാള, കറൂപ്പുപാന്വാട, నడిప్పుస్సవళ్ళు , மட்டாசாவ்வாளை , పెద్దసవాళ్ళు  , വെള്ളിതലയന് , கர்தீகவாளை , ஓலவாளை , சாவாளை , ಪಂಬೋಲೆ , પટટી , సావల  , Baia, Bala, Bale, Chavalai, Hair tail, Karthigaivalai, Karuppusavala, Karupputhalayan, Kothisavallu, Mattachavalai, Nadippussavallu, Olavalai, Pambole, Patti, Peddasavallu, Ribbon fish, Savala, Savalai, Silver ribbon fish, Small headed hairtail, Small-headed ribbonfish, Thalayan, Vellasavala, Vellathalayan, Vellithalayan, Wagti, Yellasavallu
Status : native
Salinity : brackish, marine
Uses : no uses