Genus Trachinops

A genus of small planktivorous fishes found only in southern Australia. Species have a long slender body, a small rounded head, a low long-based dorsal fin and a pointed tail.

Hulafish sometimes form huge schools to feed on plankton in the water column. A female hulafish produces a large egg mass that is guarded by her male partner until the larvae hatch. The common name ‘hulafish’ refers to their characteristic undulating swimming motion.

Key to southern Australian species of Trachinops by Randy Mooi, 2007

1a. Dorsal fin spines 14–15, relatively pungent and easily distinguished from soft rays; pectoral fin rays 16–18; upper segment of lateral line with 45–90 scales ......................................................................... 2

1b. Dorsal fin spines 10–11, extremely weak and difficult to distinguish from soft rays; pectoral fin rays 14–15; upper segment of lateral line with 38–43 scales ……….....…………...............……………… Trachinops brauni

2a. Segmented  dorsal fin rays 16–17; segmented anal fin rays 17–20; upper segment of lateral line with 45–57 scales; dark lateral stripe or caudal spot ……………………………………............……………………………………3

2b. Segmented dorsal fin rays 20–21; segmented anal fin rays 22–23; upper segment of lateral line with 73–90 scales; no dark lateral stripe or caudal spot ……………...............…………………… Trachinops noarlungae

3a. Dark blotch on caudal-fin base, body darker dorsally and creamy ventrally; upper segment of lateral line with 45–51 scales, lower segment with 13–18 pored scales ...............................… Trachinops caudimaculatus

3b. Body with yellow stripe from eye to caudal bordered dorsally by a dark stripe from upper lip along dorsal-fin base and ventrally by a red stripe from the eye to the caudal peduncle and then a black stripe from the opercle onto the caudal fin, ventral half of body white; upper segment of lateral line with 51–57 scales; lower segment with 0–7 pored scales …...........................................…...…..... Trachinops taeniatus