Threadfins belong to the taxonomic family Polynemidae and are named after their long thread-like pectoral filaments. They use these 'threads' like motion sensors to sense vibrations along the muddy bottoms of the coastal waters that they inhabit. They have a nutritious diet of shellfish, crustaceans and smaller fishes.

These fish are protandrous hermaphrodites, changing from male to female as they mature. They are also amphidromous meaning that they migrate into rivers and estuaries to lay their eggs. The young grow up in freshwater but after reaching a certain size make the journey into saltwater.