Dorab wolf-herring
species of fish
The dorab wolf-herring (Chirocentrus dorab) is a fish species from the genus Chirocentrus of the family Chirocentridae. It is a coastal fish, silvery below and bright blue above. It is found in both marine and brackish or estuarine waters, where it primarily feeds on smaller fish and possibly crustaceans. The genus name Chirocentrus is from the Greek cheir meaning hand and kentron meaning sting. Dorab is from the Arabic language word darrab (ضرّاب), probably a corrupted form of durubb (دُرُبّ), a name for goldfish in Arabic. It has another Arabic name, lisan (لسان), which means tongue. In Sinhala, it is known as කටුවල්ලා (katuwalla).
Description
The dorab wolf-herring have slender, elongated bodies. They are commonly about 3–120 centimetres (1.2–47.2 in) in length and weigh between 170–1,200 grams (0.37–2.65 lb).
Range
The dorab wolf-herring is found in the Indo-Pacific, probably throughout the warmer coastal waters, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Solomon Islands, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Dorab wolf-herring” is species of fish. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Dorab, wolf-herring and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of fish” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2255165. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dorab wolf-herring”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dorab wolf-herring primary sources, Dorab wolf-herring archive and Dorab research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Dorab wolf-herring”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Dorab wolf-herring” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.