Silver Dory, Cyttus australis (Richardson 1843)

Other Names: Australian Silver Dory, Bastard Dory, Boarfish, Red Dory, Sun Dory

Summary:

Body silvery-pink, very compressed, with a large protrusible mouth, a tall spinous dorsal fin and pinkish to reddish fins with darker margins. The scales are rough to touch.

Cite this page as:

Dianne J. Bray, Cyttus australis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1865

Silver Dory, Cyttus australis (Richardson 1843)

More Info

Distribution	Endemic to southeastern and southern Australia from about Newcastle, New South Wales, to the Great Australian Bight, Western Australia, including around Tasmania. The Silver Dory is benthopelagic on the continental shelf.
Features	Meristic features: Dorsal-fin VIII-IX; 27-30: Anal fin II, 28-31; Caudal fin 13; Pectoral fin 11; Pelvic fin I, 6; Lateral line scales 77-88. Body deep, subrhombic in juveniles to oval in adults; body scales ctenoid, rough to touch, firmly attached; 15–17 scales between highest point of lateral line and spinous dorsal fin.
Colour	Body rosy-silver; membrane of spinous dorsal fin and pelvic fins red with a blackish margin; anterior 1/3 of caudal fin red, fin margin black; fins otherwise pink.
Fisheries	Commercially trawled on a small scale in Australia and taken mainly as a bycatch of inshore trawling and Danish seines off New South Wales and Victoria - including in the blue grenadier fishery. Some fish are also caught off Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The flesh is of good quality, though not considered to be exceptional.
Species Citation	Capros australis Richardson, 1843, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1 11(69): 170. Type locality: Port Arthur, Tasmania
Author	Dianne J. Bray

Silver Dory, Cyttus australis (Richardson 1843)

References

Bray, D.J. 1994. Families Zeidae, Oreosomatidae. pp. 416-427 figs 373-381 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.

Bray, D.J. 2008. Family Cyttidae. pp. 435-438 in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Coleman, N. 1980. Australian Sea Fishes South of 30ºS. Lane Cove, NSW : Doubleday Australia Pty Ltd 309 pp.

Furlani, D., R. Gales & D. Pemberton. 2007. Otoliths of Common Australian Temperate Fish: A Photographic Guide. CSIRO Publishing, 216 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.

Paxton, J.R., Bray, D.J., Gates, J.E. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Cyttidae. pp. 787-788. in Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp.

Richardson, J. 1843. Contributions to the ichthyology of Australia. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 1 11(69): 169-182.

Tyler, J.C., O'Toole, B. & Winterbottom, R.W. 2003. Phylogeny of the genera and families of zeiform fishes, with comments on their relationships with tetraodontiforms and caproids. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 618: 1-110

Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Ward, R.D. (eds) 1999. Australian Seafood Handbook. Hobart : CSIRO Marine Research 460 pp.