Sevenbar Weedfish, Heteroclinus equiradiatus (Milward 1960)

Other Names: Ogilby's Weedfish, Weed Fish

Preserved holotype of the Sevenbar Weedfish, Heteroclinus equiradiatus, WAM P.4472-001, from off a coastal-limestone platform at the western end of Wilson Bay, Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Source: Western Australian Museum. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Heteroclinus equiradiatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1

Sevenbar Weedfish, Heteroclinus equiradiatus (Milward 1960)

More Info

Distribution	Known only from Rottnest Island, Western Australia.
Features	Dorsal fin III + XXVII-XXIX, 3; Anal fin II, 20-21; Pectoral fin 12: Pelvic fin I, 3; Caudal fin 9 + 2. Body fairly elongate. Snout rounded. Nasal cirrus multifid, with 8 or 9 filaments. Supra-orbital tentacle with a long, tapering outer filament and one or two short inner ones, all broadly joined at base. First three dorsal spines about equal in length, very slightly longer than those following from which they are separated by a gap approximately equal to 3rd spine when depressed; 1st spine just before vertical from margin of pre-operculum; 3rd spine joined by membrane to basal portion of 4th, which is placed over hind border of operculum. First and 2nd dorsal-fin rays more widely spaced than 2nd and 3rd; 3rd ray entirely connected to whole of caudal peduncle by membrane. Anal fin commences beneath 12th dorsal-fin spine. First anal-fin spine about two-thirds length of 2nd; rays increasing very slightly in length to penultimate, the last shorter and connected only basally to peduncle by membrane. Pectoral fin rounded. Pelvic fin with a concealed spine and three similar finger-like rays; middle ray a fraction longer than other two, reaching approximately half-way to vent. Caudal fin truncate. Lateral line distinct anteriorly as a series of closely-set tubed scales extending over about two-thirds of the pectoral fin, the series then descending to mid-line and continuing to tail, becoming more widely spaced and less obvious.
Colour	In preservative: yellowish-orange with seven darker, orange-brown, irregular bars on body; dark brown spots on body, mainly bordering bars.
Etymology	The specific name is from the Latin aequalis (= equal) and radiatus (= rayed, with rays), in reference to the three ventral-fin rays that are of equal length (unlike other Australian species of Heteroclinus.
Species Citation	Petraites equiradiatus Milward 1960, Western Australian Naturalist 7(5): 134. Type locality: off coastal-limestone platform at the western end of Wilson Bay, Rottnest Island, Western Australia.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Sevenbar Weedfish, Heteroclinus equiradiatus (Milward 1960)

References

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 : information and identification guide. 2nd ed. Perth.

Milward, N.E. 1960. A new species of weed-fish of the genus Petraites from Western Australia. Western Australian Naturalist 7(5): 134-135 1 fig.

Williams, J.T., Holleman, W. & Clements, K.D. 2014. Heteroclinus equiradiatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T179070A1566306. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T179070A1566306.en. Downloaded on 03 June 2019.