Common Veilfin, Metavelifer multiradiatus (Regan 1907)

Other Names: Spinyfin Velifer, Veilfin, Veil-fin

A Common Veilfin, Metavelifer multiradiatus, on the Izu Peninsula, Japan. Source: Izuzuki / http://www.izuzuki.com/. License: CC BY Attribution-ShareAlike

Summary:

A silvery veilfin with slightly darker vertical bands on the body, a distinctive dark blotch covering the base of the anterior branched dorsal-fin rays and the adjacent body surface, oblique cross-bars on the caudal fin, and dusky pelvic fins dusky with a black spot in the middle and at the tip.

Video of a Common Veilfin (and Duncker's Pipehorse, Solegnathus dunckeri) attracted to a baited remote underwater video camera (BRUV) oin the Solitary Islands Marine Park, New South Wales, 20 August 2012 - depth 62 m.

Cite this page as:

Dianne J. Bray, Metavelifer multiradiatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 17 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4332

Common Veilfin, Metavelifer multiradiatus (Regan 1907)

More Info

Distribution	Widespread in subtropical and warm-temperate seas of the Indo-west-central Pacific, living near the bottom at 30–242m in Australian waters.
Features	Meristic features: Dorsal fin 41–44; Anal fin 33–36; Pectoral fin 15-16; Pelvic fin 9; Caudal fin 19; Gill rakers (lower limb) 9-10; lateral line scales 40-42. Body depth about 60% SL; head about 30% SL. dorsal-fin rays increasing in height to the very long filamentous 6th finray; succeeding rays decrease in height, with the posterior two-thirds of the fin rather low; anterior rays simple, posterior rays branched.
Size	To 49 cm SL.
Colour	Silvery with faintly dark vertical bands on body; a distinctive dark blotch covering the base of the anterior branched dorsal-fin rays and adjacent body surface; caudal fin with oblique cross-bars; pelvic fin dusky with black central spot and tip.
Conservation	IUCN: Not Evaluated
Species Citation	Regan, C.T. 1907. Descriptions of the teleostean fish Velifer hypselopterus and of a new species of the genus Velifer. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1907: 633-634 [633]. Type data: Holotype BMNH 1887.5.16.6, northwestern coast of Australia.
Author	Dianne J. Bray

Common Veilfin, Metavelifer multiradiatus (Regan 1907)

References

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls [as Velifer multiradiatus]

Bray, D.J. 2008. Family Veliferidae. pp. 534 in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Glover, C.J.M. 1994. Families Lampridae, Veliferidae, Lophotidae, Trachipteridae, Regalecidae, Fistulariidae. pp. 427-435 figs 382-387 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs.

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 63: 9-50.

Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers. Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp.

May, J.L. & Maxwell, J.G.H. 1986. Field Guide to Trawl Fish from Temperate Waters of Australia. Hobart : CSIRO Division of Marine Research 492 pp.

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [63] (446, as Velifer multiradiatus)

Okiyama, M. 1988. An atlas of the early stage fishes in Japan. Tokai University Press, Tokyo. 1157 p. (in Japanese).

Olney, J.E. 1999. Families Veliferidae, Lamprididae, Stylephoridae, Lophotidae, Radiicephalidae, Trachipteridae, Regalecidae. pp. 1966-1975 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 1397-2068 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E. & D.F. Hoese 2006. Family Veliferidae. pp. 534-535 in Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3 2178 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [397] (as Velifer multiradiatus)

Regan, C.T. 1907. Descriptions of the teleostean fish Velifer hypselopterus and of a new species of the genus Velifer. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1907: 633-634.

Walters, V. 1960. Synopsis of the lampridiform suborder Veliferoidei. Copeia 1960(3): 245-247.