Threadfin breamsNemipteridae

Threadfin breams, also known as whiptail breams, are marine fishes characterized by an elongated, moderately compressed body. Most display silvery, pinkish, or reddish colouration, often marked with stripes or spots. They possess a single, continuous dorsal fin with 10 spines and 9 soft rays, and an anal fin with 3 spines and 7 or 8 soft rays. Many species have an elongated filament extending from the upper lobe of the caudal fin, a feature that gives them their common name. Adults grow to a total length of 15 cm (6 in) to 38 cm (15 in).

These fishes inhabit sandy or rubbly bottoms adjacent to coral reefs, living at depths from a few meters down to 100 meters (330 ft) in the 🌊 Red Sea. Individuals are often solitary or found in small groups, though larger schools form occasionally. Their diet primarily consists of benthic invertebrates such as crustaceans, polychaetes, and cephalopods, with some species also consuming small fish and zooplankton. Several species exhibit protogynous hermaphroditism, beginning life as females and later changing sex to male.