- Classification
- ACTINOPTERYGII
- PERCIFORMES
- MONODACTYLIDAE
- Schuettea
- scalaripinnis
Eastern Pomfred, Schuettea scalaripinnis Steindachner 1866
Other Names: Ladder-finned Pomfret

Eastern Pomfrets, Schuettea scalaripinnis, at Longnose Point, Jervis Bay, New South Wales. Source: Graham Edgar / Reef Life Survey. License: CC by Attribution
Summary:
A striking silvery pomfred with a golden yellow back and fins, and a narrow dark bar behind the head. The Eastern Pomfred is often seen in large schools around rocky reefs in bays, harbours, along the coast and around offshore islands.
Video of Eastern Pomfreds at Long Reef, Sydney, New South Wales.
Eastern Pomfreds at Fairy Bower near Manly, Sydney, New South Wales.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Schuettea scalaripinnis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 09 Feb 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/2479
Eastern Pomfred, Schuettea scalaripinnis Steindachner 1866
More Info
Distribution |
Endemic to eastern Australia from Shoalwater Bay, Queensland, to Montague Island, New South Wales. Inhabits bays, harbours, the deeper parts of estuaries and protected areas along the coast, forming large schools around dropoffs, near cave mouths and among boulders. |
Features |
Dorsal fin V, 28-30; Anal fin III, 28-32; Caudal fin 17; Pectoral fin 14-18; Pelvic fin I, 5; Vertebrae 24. |
Similar Species |
The Western Pomfred, Schuettea woodwardi, found in coastal waters from eastern South Australia to central Western Australia, has a deeper body with taller fins, and the yellow coloration restricted to the fins. |
Species Citation |
Schuettea scalaripinnis Steindachner, 1866, Anz. Kaiser. Akad. Wissensch. Wien 3(7): 53. Type locality: Port Jackson, New South Wales. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2019 |
Resources |
Eastern Pomfred, Schuettea scalaripinnis Steindachner 1866
References
Hay, A.C., Trnski, T. & A.G. Miskiewicz, A.G. 2004. Larval Eastern Pomfred Schuettea scalaripinnis (Steindachner, 1866). Australian Museum Larval Fishes Website, viewed 13 July 2012 PDF
Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers. Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp.
Hutchins, J.B. & Thompson, M. 1983. The Marine and Estuarine Fishes of South-western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 103 pp. 345 figs.
Kottelat, M. 2001. Monodactylidae. pp. 3216-3220 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. 5 2791-3379 pp.
Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.
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. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen publishers. 437 pp.
Peters, W.C.H. 1866. Mittheilung über Fische. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1866: 509-526 figs 1-4 (as Scorpis boops)
Steindachner, F. 1866. Über die Fische von Port Jackson in Australien. Anzeiger der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse, Wien 3(7): 50-55.