Short Boarfish, Parazanclistius hutchinsi Hardy 1983
A Short Boarfish, Parazanclistius hutchinsi, at Mornington, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, 2005. Source: Carol & Pete Bathie. License: All rights reserved
A distinctive boarfish with prominent black ocellus or "false eye-spot" on the rear of the tall rounded dorsal fin, large rounded pelvic fins, and a long almost tubular snout.
Video of a Short Boarfish in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.
Short Boarfish, Parazanclistius hutchinsi Hardy 1983
More Info
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Distribution |
Endemic to temperate waters of southern Australia, from Eden in southern New South Wales, to Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Short Boarfish usually inhabit coastal waters in depths of 10–200 m |
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Features |
Dorsal-fin spines/rays VI, 25-27; Anal-fin spines/rays III-IV, 13-14; Pectoral-fin rays 16-18; Caudal-fin rays 17; Pelvic-fin spines/rays I, 5; Lateral line scales 66-72. Body deep (59-67% SL); sides strongly compressed; dorsal profile broadly rounded. Head of moderate size (27-34% SL), anteriorly covered with exposed, rough, striated bones; eyes large; snout lightly built, somewhat elongate, dorsal profile very deeply concave; mouth small, nearly horizontal; teeth of both jaws short, conical, set in broad bands anteriorly, bands narrowing along sides; vomer toothless; older specimens with heavily rounded nape but without bony knob. Scales ctenoid, moderately small, present on opercles and subopercles; lateral line strongly arched, following dorsal profile of body. Dorsal fin continuous, spines increasing in length posteriorly, anterior soft dorsal rays much longer than posterior-most dorsal-fin spine, sometimes extending beyond caudal fin, posterior edge of dorsal fin concave; anal fin short-based, posterior margin rounded; caudal fin slightly emarginate. Pectoral fins elongate, upper rays much longer than lower. Pelvic fins large, spine strong. |
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Size |
To 34 cm |
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Colour |
Body pale olive-brown, darkening on sides behind the pectoral-fin base; top of head dark brown, extending antero-ventrally below eyes almost to corner of mouth; dorsal, anal and caudal fins with indistinctly edged, narrow darkish bands crossing rays; a prominent, white-edged black spot or ocellus (false eye-spot) on the rear of the dorsal fin. |
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Fisheries |
May be taken as incidental bycatch in commercial trawls. |
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Etymology |
The species is named hutchinsi in honour of Dr Barry Hutchins, formerly Curator of Fishes at the Western Australian Museum. |
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Species Citation |
Parazanclistius hutchinsi Hardy 1983, Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 10(4): 375. Type locality: Rottnest Island, Western Australia |
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Author |
Bray, D.J., 2016 |
Short Boarfish, Parazanclistius hutchinsi Hardy 1983
References
Bray, D.J., Hoese, D.F. & Paxton, J.R. 2006. Pentacerotidae (pp. 1312–1316). In Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol.35.2 ABRS & CSIRO Publishing, Australia
Edgar, G.J. 1997. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Reed Books. 544 pp.
Hardy, G.S. 1983. A revision of the fishes of the family Pentacerotidae (Perciformes). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 10: 177-220 figs 1-13 PDF Open access
Hardy, G.S. 1983. A new genus and species of boarfish (Perciformes : Pentacerotidae) from Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 10(4): 373-380 fig. 1 PDF Open access
Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Pentacerotidae (pp. 611–617). In Gomon, M.F., Bray,D. & Kuiter, R.H. The Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coast. New Holland Publishers, Chatswood, Australia.
Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. 180 pp.
Hutchins, B. & M. Thompson. 1983. The Marine and Estuarine Fishes of South-western Australia. Western Australian Museum. 103 pp.
Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. 433 pp.
Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. 437 pp.
