spotback herring
Herklotsichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Herklotsichthys punctatus, the spotback herring or spotted herring, is a species of herring from the family Dorosomatidae. It is endemic to the Red Sea and likely entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal and is now common on the Levantine Basin.
Wikipedia contributors, Herklotsichthys punctatus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:01:35.153795+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Herklotsichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837)
- Name authority
- (Rüppell, 1837)
- Common name
- spotback herring
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Clupeiformes
- Family
- Dorosomatidae
- Genus
- Herklotsichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderClupeiformes
- suborderClupeoidei Bleeker, 1859
- familyDorosomatidae Gill, 1861
- genusHerklotsichthys Whitley, 1951
- speciesHerklotsichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Herklotsichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Herklotsichthys castelnaui (Ogilby, 1897) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys collettei Wongratana, 1987 | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys lippa (Whitley, 1931) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys lossei Wongratana, 1983 | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys ovalis (Anonymous [Bennett], 1830) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys koningsbergeri (Weber & de Beaufort, 1912) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys blackburni (Whitley, 1948) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys dispilonotus (Bleeker, 1852) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Herklotsichthys gotoi Wongratana, 1983 | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| bluestripe herringHerklotsichthys quadrimaculatus (Rüppell, 1837) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Reunion herringHerklotsichthys spilura (Guichenot, 1863) | DorosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Herclotsichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837) (Rüppell, 1837) | synonym |
| Herklosichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837) (Rüppell, 1837) | synonym |
| Herkloteichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837) (Rüppell, 1837) | synonym |
| Clupea punctata Rüppell, 1837 Rüppell, 1837 | synonym |
| Harengula arabica Valenciennes, 1847 Valenciennes, 1847 | synonym |
| Herklostichthys punctatus (Rüppell, 1837) (Rüppell, 1837) | synonym |
| Herklotsichthys punctata (Rüppell, 1837) (Rüppell, 1837) | synonym |
| Spratella erythraea Rüppell, 1852 Rüppell, 1852 | synonym |
| Harengula punctatus (Rüppell, 1837) (Rüppell, 1837) | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126420 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3KZ74. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.