Mado

Fascinating facts about the Mado

• At just about 20 cm long, the mado fits on a standard ruler yet still dazzles with silver scales crossed by stark dark stripes and bright yellow fins.
• These fish linger from the tide line down to 55 m, found among reef crests and even under wharf pilings, showing that bustling coastal corners can host whole communities.
• Mado gather in large schools, turning the water into a ribbon of moving stripes.
• Despite their small size, mado are omnivores that mainly scoop up zooplankton, showing how a simple diet can sustain dense reef populations.

At a glance

About the Mado

The mado, Atypichthys strigatus, is a silver-bodied fish with dark brown to black stripes and yellow fins, growing to about 20 cm. It inhabits benthic zones of reefs and man-made structures such as wharfs, at depths from the surface to 55 m. It forms large schools and is omnivorous, primarily feeding on zooplankton.

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