Blacktip Cucumberfish, Paraulopus nigripinnis (Günther 1878)

Other Names: Cucumber Fish, Greeneyes

Blacktip Cucumberfish, Paraulopus nigripinnis. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC BY Attribution-ShareAlike

Summary:

Little is known of the biology of Cucumber fish. It is a deep water species occurring at depths from 65 to approximately 600m.

Cite this page as:

Tara Hicks, Paraulopus nigripinnis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 16 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4350

Blacktip Cucumberfish, Paraulopus nigripinnis (Günther 1878)

More Info

Max Length Australia	280
Distribution	Coastal and offshore waters of Southern Australia, from Cape Cuvier (WA) to Port Stephens (NSW) including Tasmania. This species has also been recorded off New Zealand.
Features	Meristic features: Dorsal fin 11; adipose fin. Anal fin 9, Caudal fin 19, Pectoral fin 16, Pelvic fin 9, Lateral line scales, 50-53 Body slender (depth approx. 18% SL), tapering posteriorly; sides rounded; anus slightly closer to ventral fin bases than to origin of anal fin, separated from former by about seven scales. Head moderately large (approx. 29% SL); eyes very large, positioned dorsolaterally; mouth large, maxillae extending back to below the eyes; teeth villiform, narrow band in each jaw, on vomer and palatines. Scales cycloid; lateral line midlaterally on side. Two dorsal fins, first large, short based, high, centred on body; second dorsal small, adipose, above anal fin; anal fin with short base, midway between ventral and caudal fin; caudal fin deeply forked, upper lobe slightly longer than lower. Pectoral fins large, positioned laterally. Ventral fins large, slightly behind base of pectoral fins.
Size	Can reach a length of 280mm
Colour	Greenish above, silver-yellow below; sides of head silvery; eyes green; tips of first dorsal and caudal fins black. Young with bluish blotches on sides.
Remarks	Formally regarded as a species of Greeneye (Chlorophthalmus)
Etymology
Species Citation	Chlorophthalmus nigripinnis Gunther 1878 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5)2(8): 182, off Twofold Bay, NSW.
Author	Tara Hicks