Bigscale Jawfish, Opistognathus macrolepis Peters 1866


Other Names: Big-scale Jawfish

Illustration of a Bigscale Jawfish, Opistognathus macrolepis, from the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland (holotype of Merogymnoides carpentariae Whitley 1966, AMS IB.7145). Source: Fig. 4, in Whitley (1966) The Australian Zoologist 13(3): 235-243 / Biodiversity Heritage Library. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:
A brown jawfish with a relatively large scales forming fine irregular stripes along the body, dark fins with a narrow pale basal stripe on the soft dorsal and anal fins, no ocellus on the dorsal fin, and no dark chin bar.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2018, Opistognathus macrolepis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3492

Bigscale Jawfish, Opistognathus macrolepis Peters 1866

More Info


Distribution

Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the Gulf of Thailand.

Features

Body with a single, dorsally positioned lateral line.

Species Citation

Opisthognathus macrolepis Peters 1866, Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1866: 520. Type locality: Bangkok, Thailand.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2018

Resources

Australian Faunal Directory

Bigscale Jawfish, Opistognathus macrolepis Peters 1866

References


Biswas, S., Mishra, S.S., Das, N.P.I., Satpathy, K.K., Nayak, L. & Selvanayagam, M. 2013. First record and range-extension of bigscale jawfish, Opistognathus macrolepis (Perciformes: Opistognathidae), from Indian Ocean. Marine Biodiversity Records 6: e8  DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1755267212001194

Peters, W.C.H. 1866. Mittheilung über Fische. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1866: 509-526 figs 1-4

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1999. Family Opistognathidae. pp. 2588-2589 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790.

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 2004. Descriptions of Six New Species of Jawfishes (Opistognathidae: Opistognathus) from Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 56: 209-224. DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.56.2004.1422 PDF available, open access

Whitley, G.P. 1966. Notes on some Queensland fishes. The Australian Zoologist 13(3): 235-243 figs 1-5 pls 13-14 (as Merogymnoides carpentariaeSee ref at BHL

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37388013

Behaviour:In burrows

Habitat:Silty areas

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map