Elongate Bullseye, Parapriacanthus elongatus (McCulloch 1911)


Other Names: Slender Bullseye

Elongate Bullseyes, Parapriacanthus elongatus. Source: Rudie H. Kuiter / Aquatic Photographics. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
A slender greyish-green sweeper with a darker lateral line, a pinkish to greenish head, silvery pinkish-brown sides becoming paler below, a dark stripe from the pelvic-fin base to the anal-fin origin, dark upper and lower margins on the caudal fin, and no scales along the anal-fin base.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Parapriacanthus elongatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/624

Elongate Bullseye, Parapriacanthus elongatus (McCulloch 1911)

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to southern Australia from Disaster Bay, New South Wales, to the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia, including Tasmania. 
Forms schools around rocky reefs, jetties and piers in depths to 60 m.  

Features

Dorsal fin IV–V, 10–12; Anal fin III, 23–28; Caudal fin 17; Pectoral fin 16–19; Pelvic fin I, 5; Lateral-line scales 60–70. 

Body moderately deep, 29–37% SL, moderately elongate, very compressed; caudal peduncle slender. Head moderately small, length 32–36% SL; eye large, diameter 34–37% HL; preopercular margins with bony processes. Mouth moderately large, oblique, maxillae reaching below middle of eyes, upper jaw length 47–51% SL; teeth small, conical, largest anteriorly, single row in each jaw. 
Scales small, weakly ctenoid, strongly attached, covering body and head except for snout, absent from anal-fin base; lateral line nearly straight, terminating halfway to margin of caudal fin.  
Single moderately high short-based dorsal fin located centrally on back; anal-fin base elongate, first few rays considerably longer than those posteriorly; caudal fin forked. Pectoral fins prominent, upper rays much longer than those below. Pelvic fins arising below posterior side of pectoral fin bases, not reaching anus.

Size

Reaches a length of 13 cm. 

Colour

Lateral line yellowish, greenish above with numerous minute black pigment spots, flank mostly silvery, pinkish-brown with silvery sheen posteriorly below, dark stripe from ventral-fin base to anal-fin origin; head pinkish to greenish with silvery highlights; fins mostly clear; dorsal and ventral margins of caudal fin dark.
Greyish above, lighter below; upper surface of head and back densely covered with minute dark spots, spots extending onto dorsal and caudal fins.  

Fisheries

Sometimes taken as by-catch in commercial trawls.

Remarks

This somewhat deeper-water sweeper is bioluminescent, and has a light organ containing bioluminescent bacteria associated with the digestive tract. The precise function of the structure is unknown.

Species Citation

Pempheris elongata McCulloch, 1911, Zool. Res. Endeavour 1: 47, pl. 4, fig. 1. Type locality: Bass Strait, Victoria.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Elongate Bullseye, Parapriacanthus elongatus (McCulloch 1911)

References


Gomon, M.F. 1994. Family Pempherididae. pp. 606-611 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. 

Hoschke, A., Whisson, G. & Moore, G.I. 2019. Complete list of fishes from Rottnest Island. pp. 150-161 in Whisson, G. & Hoschke, A. (eds) The Rottnest Island fish book. 2nd ed. Perth : Aqua Research and Monitoring Services.

Hutchins, J.B. 1997. Checklist of fishes of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. pp. 239-253 in Wells, F. (ed.) The Marine Fauna and Flora of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum. 

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. 

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. 

Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. 

McCulloch, A.R. 1911. Report on the fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Part 1. Zoological (Biological) Results. Endeavour 1(1): 1-87 figs 1-20 pls 1-16 

Mooi, R.D. 2008. Family Pempheridae. pp. 592-595 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Platell, M.E. & Potter, I.C. 2001. Partitioning of food resources amongst 18 abundant benthic carnivorous fish species in marine waters on the lower west coast of Australia. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 261: 31-54.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37357002

Biology:Bioluminescent

Depth:2-60 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:14 cm TL

Native:Endemic

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