McGrouther's Flathead, Rogadius mcgroutheri Imamura 2007


Other Names: McGrouther's Flathead
Summary:
A flathead with brown blotches (sometimes indistinct) on the back and sides, a blackish outer band and dark brown basal spots on the spinous dorsal fin, small dark brown spots along the rays of the second dorsal fin, and dark brown spots and bands on the caudal fin.

Cite this page as:
Australian National Fish Collection & Bray, D.J., 2021, Rogadius mcgroutheri in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3368

McGrouther's Flathead, Rogadius mcgroutheri Imamura 2007

More Info


Distribution

North-east of Cape York, to south of Moreton Island, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in New Caledonia. Inhabits soft sediment areas in bays and coastal waters at depths to at least 60 m.

Features

Dorsal fin VIII, 11-12 (usually 12); Anal fin 11; Caudal fin 11-12; Pectoral fin 21-23; Pelvic fin I, 5; Gill rakers 1 + 5-7; Lateral line scales (pored) 50-54.

Body elongate, depressed. Head large (length 37-40% SL), flattened, lower side of head with a single ridge; top and side of head bearing spines, serrated ridges and tubercles; single sharp preocular spine; ocular flap absent, interorbit narrow and concave (width 16.9-27.8 in HL); band of villiform teeth in jaws, with a distinct notch medially; teeth on vomer in two separate patches. Preopercular spines 3 to 9; uppermost longest, not reaching to posterior margin of opercle; lowermost small and blunt, directed anteriorly, embedded under skin; interopercular flap absent. 

Postorbital region, opercle and nape with ctenoid scales, some cycloid on undersurface; oblique scale rows slanting downward and backward above lateral line about equal to number of lateral-line scales; lateral-line scales 50 to 54, anterior 6 to 11 bearing a spine; scale pores of lateral line with 2 openings to the outside. First dorsal fin spinous, base almost as long as base of second dorsal fin. 

Second dorsal fin with moderately long base. Anal fin opposite and slightly longer-based than second dorsal fin. Caudal fin concave, truncate or slightly rounded. Pectoral fins slightly elongate. Pelvic fins long, reaching to anal fin.

Size

To at least 15 cm SL.

Colour

In preservative: Body and head light brown dorsally, paler below, indistinct to distinct brown blotches dorsally and laterally. Spinous dorsal fin with blackish band distally; basal area with dark brown spots. Second dorsal fin with small dark brown spots along rays. Caudal fin with several dark brown irregular spots basally; a narrow continuous horizontal band (or composed of small spots) dorso-medially, or horizontal band absent; pectoral fin entirely pale brown, except for lower two thirds brown to dark brown, or with brown spots.

Fisheries

May be taken as trawl bycatch.

Conservation

IUCN Data Deficient

Similar Species

Differs from other species of Rogadius in having the following combination of characters: second dorsal-fin rays usually 11; unbranched lower pectoral fin rays 4 or 6-8; a larger orbital diameter; usually a single preocular spine lacking the accessory spines on the anterior base; a short antrorse preopercular spine; a narrow palatine tooth band with 2 irregular tooth rows; body with indistinct or somewhat distinct brown blotches, and caudal fin with dark brown spots and bands.

Species Citation

Rogadius mcgroutheri Imamura 2007, Ichthyological Research 54(3): 303, Figs. 1-4. Type locality: New Caledonia.

Author

Australian National Fish Collection & Bray, D.J., 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

McGrouther's Flathead, Rogadius mcgroutheri Imamura 2007

References


Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. & Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie) Neue Serie 4: 341-463

Imamura, H. 2007. Rogadius mcgroutheri, a new species of flathead (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) collected from eastern Australia and New Caledonia. Ichth. Res. 54(3)303-307, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-007-0405-3

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Motomura, H. & Matsuura, K. 2016. Rogadius mcgroutheri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T69790220A69800867. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69790220A69800867.en. Downloaded on 07 September 2021.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37296056

Conservation:IUCN Data Deficient

Danger:Venomous spines

Depth:15-60 m

Habitat:Bays, coastal waters

Max Size:15 cm SL

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map