Splendid Perch, Callanthias australis Ogilby 1899

Other Names: Glorious Groppo, Magnificent Splendid Perch, Splendid Sea Perch

Summary:

Females and juveniles are uniformly pinkish-red with a red pectoral-fin base. Males are deep purple on the head and anterior body, with a reddish rear, a yellow caudal fin with purple lobes, and yellow to brownish dorsal and anal fins with blue margins. While spawning, males become orange-red with a whitish lattice pattern, whitish fins with reddish or orange markings, and red tips on the tail.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Callanthias australis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 24 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1588

Splendid Perch, Callanthias australis Ogilby 1899

More Info

Distribution	Moreton Bay, Queensland, to off Rottnest Island, Western Australia (including Taupou Seamount off New South Wales), with an unconfirmed record from near Shark Bay, Western Australia; also Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species is found in northern New Zealand. Inhabits deeper rocky reefs and pinnacles at 20–365 m. Juveniles are sometimes found inshore at depths of 10-20 m.
Features	Dorsal fin X-XI, 10-12; Anal fin III, 10-11; Caudal fin 17; Pectoral fin 18-23; Pelvic fin I, 5; Lateral line 35-41; Pseudobranch 11-43 filaments, tending to increase in number with growth; Gill rakers 7-11 + 23-28 = 30-38; Tubed lateral-line scales 31-42, usually 35-40, very rarely fewer than 34; Circum-caudal-peduncular scales 21-25. Scales between anal fin origin and lateral line 13-19. Body depth 26–36% SL; head length 24–31% SL; eye diameter 30–45% HL; scales below lateral line 13–18. Caudal fin emarginate to almost truncate, larger individuals frequently with elongated lobes. Anterodorsal and lateral aspects of snout usually with scales, lachrymal with scales. Gular region rarely with a few scales anteriorly. Membranes of dorsal and anal fins without scales; pectoral and pelvic fins scaly basally; caudal fin well-scaled for considerable distance onto fin.
Size	Males to 30 cm; females to 20 cm.
Colour	Juveniles uniformly pink with pale blue fins. Females orange to brick red; fins pale bluish white to yellowish red with small reddish spots. Males similar, but larger and more vivid with yellow on caudal peduncle and caudal fin, and mauve on head and upper part of body anteriorly; pectoral fin mauve with red base; dorsal and anal fins edged with iridescent blue; deepwater individuals more yellowish. Males intensify and alter their colours when breeding.
Feeding	A schooling species that feeds on zooplankton.
Biology	A protogynous hermaphrodite.
Etymology	The specific name australis is Latin for “southern,” in reference to the distribution of this species in the Australian–New Zealand region.
Species Citation	Callanthias platei australis Ogilby, 1899, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 24: 173. Type locality: off Norah Head, 36 miles north of Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia (lectotype).
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Splendid Perch, Callanthias australis Ogilby 1899

References

Anderson, W.D. Jr 1999. Family Callanthiidae. pp. 2553-2554 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.

Anderson, Jr, W.D., Johnson, G.D. & Baldwin, C.C. 2015. Review of the Splendid Perches, Callanthias (Percoidei: Callanthiidae). Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 105(3): 126 pp.

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp.

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

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1994. Families Serranidae, Callanthiidae. pp. 528-548 figs 469-485 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.

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 2004. Basslets, Hamlets and their relatives. A comprehensive guide to selected Serranidae and Plesiopidae. Chorleywood, UK : TMC Publishing 1, 216 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.

Miskiewicz, A.G., Baldwin, C.C., Leis, J.M. & Rennis, D.S. 2000. Callanthiidae. pp. 280–284 in Leis, J.M. & Carson-Ewart, B.M. (eds). The larvae of Indo-Pacific coastal fishes: An identification guide to marine fish larvae. Brill, Leiden, pp. i–xx + 1–850.

Ogilby, J.D. 1899. Contributions to Australian ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 24(1): 154-186

Roberts, C.D. & Gomon, M.F. 2008. Families Polyprionidae, Serranidae and Callanthiidae. pp. 534-549 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Trnski, T. & Miskiewicz, A.G. 1998. Callanthiidae: Yellow-fin basses. pp. 189–191 in Neira, F.J., Miskiewicz, A.G. & Trnski, T. (eds). Larvae of temperate Australian fishes: Laboratory guide for larval fish identification. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia, pp. i–xx + 1–474.

Waite, E.R. 1921. Illustrated catalogue of the fishes of South Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2(1): 1-208 293 figs pl. 1