Ilisha (genus)
# Ilisha (genus)

Ilisha is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Pristigasteridae. The genus contains 16 species. It is similar to Pellona but lacks a toothed hypo-maxilla. The genus has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical coastal waters and estuaries. Some species also enter rivers, and I. amazonica and I. novacula are largely–if not entirely–restricted to tropical rivers.

## Fisheries

Two Ilisha species are individually reported in the FAO catch statistics: Ilisha elongata off coasts of China and Korea and Ilisha africana off West African coasts. Other species may be reported as simply clupeoids.

## Species

There are currently 16 recognized species in this genus:

* Ilisha africana (Bloch, 1795) (West African ilisha)
* Ilisha amazonica (A. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) (Amazon ilisha)
* Ilisha compressa J. E. Randall, 1994
* Ilisha elongata (Anonymous (referred to E. T. Bennett), 1830) (Elongate ilisha)
* Ilisha filigera (Valenciennes, 1847) (Coromandel ilisha)
* Ilisha fuerthii (Steindachner, 1875) (Pacific ilisha)
* Ilisha kampeni (M. C. W. Weber & de Beaufort, 1913) (Kampen's ilisha)
* Ilisha lunula Kailola, 1986 (Longtail ilisha)
* Ilisha macrogaster Bleeker, 1866 (Kalimantan ilisha)
* Ilisha megaloptera (Swainson, 1839) (Bigeye ilisha)
* Ilisha melastoma (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801) (Indian ilisha)
* Ilisha novacula (Valenciennes, 1847) (Burmese River ilisha)
* Ilisha obfuscata Wongratana, 1983 (Hidden ilisha)
* Ilisha pristigastroides (Bleeker, 1852) (Javan ilisha)
* Ilisha sirishai Seshagiri Rao, 1975 (Lobejaw ilisha)
* Ilisha striatula Wongratana, 1983 (Banded ilisha)
