Western Sooty Grunter, Hephaestus jenkinsi (Whitley 1945)

Other Names: Black Bream, Jenkins Grunter, Jenkins' Grunter, Jenkin's Sooty Grunter, Ord River Grunter, Sooty Grunter

Western Sooty Grunter, Hephaestus jenkinsi. Source: photographer unknown. License:

Summary:

A pale to dark brown or greenish-grey grunter sometimes with a bronze tinge, noticeably darker scale margins, and a reddish eye with a pale line below. Juveniles have a black spot at the bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins, and irregular black lines along the sides. Adults often develop large blubbery lips.

Cite this page as:

Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2022, Hephaestus jenkinsi in Fishes of Australia, accessed 25 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/692

Western Sooty Grunter, Hephaestus jenkinsi (Whitley 1945)

More Info

Distribution	Widespread in the Kimberley Region, Western Australia (absent from the King Georges River), to the Victoria River, Northern Territory. Inhabits clear to turbid waters in both still and rapidly running freshwater habitats over sand, mud, and rocky substrates.
Features	Dorsal fin XI-XIII, 11-12; Anal fin III, 7-8; Pectoral fin 15-17; Pelvic fin I, 5; LL 46-52; Transverse scales 7-10/1/14-17; Gill rakers 5-8+1+15-18; Vertebrae 10+15. Body moderately deep, 2.6-3.0 in SL, ovate, slightly compressed; dorsal profile more pronounced than ventral, straight or slightly convex to dorsal origin in young, more convex in adults; ventral profile nearly straight from lower lip to pelvic insertion in young, slightly convex in adults, straight from pelvic insertion to anus. Head length 2.55-2.95 in SL; snout length 2.7-3.1 in HL. Nostrils separated by a distance equal to one-half of eye diameter. Interorbital region smooth. Eye width 2.7-5.6 in HL. Jaws equal, length 2.85-3.5 in HL; gape oblique; lips fleshy, in some specimens developing fleshy pads curling posteriorly on both lips, lip flap on lower lip continuous across ventral midline; maxillary reaching to or slightly beyond vertical drawn through posterior nostril; teeth conic, recurved, with brown tips, outer row enlarged and followed by a villiform band; no teeth on vomer or palatines. Lacrimal serrate posteriorly in young, less so in adults or smooth. Preoperculum serrate; serrations larger on angle. Lower opercular spine larger and stronger; not extending beyond edge of opercular lobe. Posttemporal expanded posteriorly, exposed, serrate along posterior edge. Cleithrum exposed; posterior edge serrate; scales on side. Supracleithrum exposed. Scales finely ctenoid; lateral line continuous, smoothly curved; 4-6 scales on caudal fin; 8-10 scales above lateral line; 15-19 scales below lateral line; 13-14 predorsal scales to occiput; 2-3 rows of scales in sheath at base of dorsal fin, sheath extending to sixth to ninth dorsal ray-, 3-4 rows of scales in sheath at base of anal fin, sheath extending to fifth anal ray; cheek scales in 6-9 rows. Dorsal fin continuous, base 1.9-2.15 in SL; spinous portion arched; first spine short; fourth to seventh longest, 2.9-3.5 in HL; those following decreasing gradually in length to last; soft dorsal rays longer than longest dorsal spines, longest 2.22.6 in HL; soft dorsal rounded. Second anal spine strongest, 2.3-3.0 in HL, longer than third, but shorter than longest anal rays; longest anal ray 1.9-2.8 in HL; soft anal rounded. Pectoral fins asymmetrically pointed; fourth or fifth ray longest. Ventral fins pointed; first ray longest, reaching two-thirds of distance to anus. Caudal fin emarginate.
Size	To 40cm SL, commonly to 20cm SL
Colour	Overall pale brown nearly to black, head and body darker dorsally, pale ventrally; opercular membrane darker than rest of head in many. Spinous portion of dorsal fin dusky basally, spines paler; soft dorsal with dark basal blotch and pale edge, getting darker overall with age. Spinous portion of anal fin dusky, spines paler; soft portion dusky with a paler margin, and a dark blotch near base. Caudal fin dusky, pectoral fin dusky with a dark blotch at base, pelvic fins clear to slightly dusky.
Feeding	Feeds mostly on small fishes and invertebrates such as prawns.
Biology	Females lay demersal eggs that sink to the bottom. The eggs are then guarded and fanned by her male partner until the larvae hatch.
Fisheries	This popular angling fish is considered very good eating. Western Sooty Grunter (locally called Black Bream) are also a very popular with indigenous fishers and is an important food fish for indigenous Australians in the Fitzroy River River catchment of the Kimberley and the Northern Territory. Aboriginal people mostly use small Bony Bream (Nematalosa erebi) and small Spangled Perch (Leiopoterapon unicolor) as bait to catch the grunters.
Remarks	Pusey et al. (2016) suggested that Hephaestus jenkinsi might be a synonym of H. fuliginosus.
Etymology	The species is named for "Mr. C. F. H. Jenkins, Government Entomologist of Western Australia", who collected holotype.
Species Citation	Mesopristes jenkinsi Whitley, 1945, Aust. Zool. 11(1): 26. Type locality: Ivanhoe Station, Ord River, Western Australia.
Author	Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Western Sooty Grunter, Hephaestus jenkinsi (Whitley 1945)

References

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