Ribbon fishes or hair tails of the family. Trichiuridae represented in the Indian waters by Trichiurus lepturus (Linn) Lepturacanthus salvala (Cuv), Eupleurogrammus intermedius (Grey), E. m utieus (Grey) are important, low priced food fishes landed in quantities at all the fishing centres on the east and west coasts, but in particular abundance in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra.

The ribbon fishes have a wide range of distribution throughout the warm seas. Besides being landed at several places along the east and west coasts of peninsular India. Trichiurus lepturus has been known to be the most common species occurring in Indian Ocean around the Archipelago and various parts of Pacific. In the Indian waters the species shoal separately at different places.