Jackass Morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus (Forster 1801)


Other Names: Deep Sea Perch, Deepsea Perch, Jackass Fish, Morwong, Mowi, Mowie, Sea Bream, Silver Perch, Squeeker Perch, Tarakihi, Terakihi

A Jackass Morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus, in Waubs Bay, Bicheno, Tasmania, April 2018. Source: acanthaster / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:
A large silvery-grey morwong with a broad black band or crescent-shaped marking from the nape to the pectoral-fin base, and a greatly elongated 7th pectoral-fin ray.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Nemadactylus macropterus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/433

Jackass Morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus (Forster 1801)

More Info


Distribution

Off Broken Bay, New South Wales, to Rottnest Island, Western Australia, including around Tasmania. Elsewhere the species occurs in New Zealand.
Individuals or large schools usually inhabit deeper reefs in depths to 400 m, although they occasionally enter large coastal bays.

Feeding

Feeds on benthic invertebrates including polychaete worms, crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms.

Biology

Like other morwongs, this species has an extended pelagic postlarval stage. In New Zealand, metamorphosis to the juvenile settlement stage occurs between 9 and 12 months after hatching.

Fisheries

Taken by recreational and commercial fishers.

Remarks

Although Francis (1993) recorded the species from Norfolk Island, he excluded it in his 2019 checklist (Francis 2019).

Similar Species

The similar King Tarakihi, Nemadactylus sp. differs in having pale pectoral fins with a broad blackish margin. King Tarakihi also grow to a larger size that the Jackass Morwong.

Species Citation

Cichla macroptera Forster, in Bloch & Schneider 1801, Systema Ichthyologiae: 342. Type locality: South Island, New Zealand.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2020

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Jackass Morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus (Forster 1801)

References


Allan, R. 2002. Australian Fish and How to Catch Them. Sydney : New Holland Publishers (Australia) 394 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Heemstra, P.C. 1976. Cheilodactylus rubrolabiatus, a new species of morwong (Pisces : Cheilodactylidae) from Western Australia, with a key to the cheilodactylid fishes of Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 4(4): 311-325 figs 1-2 See ref online

Ayling, T. & Cox, G.J. 1982. Collins Guide to the Seafishes of New Zealand. Auckland : Collins 343 pp. 48 pls 475 figs.

Bruce, B.D. 1998. Cheilodactylidae – morwongs. pp. 210–214, in Neira, F.J., Miskiewicz, A.G. & Trnski, T. Larvae of temperate Australian fishes: laboratory guide for larval fish identification. Nedlands, Western Australia : University of Western Australia press 474 pp.

Bruce, B.D., Evans, K., Sutton, C.A., Young, J.W. & Furlani, D.M. 2001. Influence of mesoscale oceanographic processes on larval distribution and stock structure in jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus: Cheilodactylidae). ICES Journal of Marine Science 58: 1072–1080. https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2001.1099

Burridge, C.P. 1999. Suggestion of synonymy for Nemadactylus and Acantholatris (Perciformes: Cirrhitoidea), pp. 413-416, in Séret B. & J.-Y. Sire (eds). Proceedings 5th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Noumea, 1997.

Burridge, C.P. & Smolenski, A.J. 2000. Microsatellite loci from the marine fish Nemadactylus macropterus (Perciformes: Cheilodactylidae). Molecular Ecology 9: 1180-1181. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.00954-6.x

Burridge, C.P. & Smolenski, A.J. 2003. Lack of genetic divergence found with microsatellite DNA markers in the tarakihi Nemadactylus macropterus. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 37: 223-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2003.9517160

Cuvier, G.L. in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. 1830. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 5 499 pp. pls 100-140. (as Cheilodactylus carponemus) See ref at BHL

Edgar, G.J. 2008. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Sydney : Reed New Holland 2, 624 pp.

Edgar, G.J., Last, P.R. & Wells, M.W. 1982. Coastal Fishes of Tasmania and Bass Strait. Hobart : Cat & Fiddle Press 175 pp.

Elliott, N.G. & Ward, R.D. 1994. Enzyme variation in jackass morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus (Schneider, 1801) (Teleostei: Cheilodactylidae), from Australian and New Zealand waters. Australian Journal of Marine and Feshwater Research 45: 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9940051

Forster, J.R., in Bloch, M.E. & Schneider, J.G. 1801. Systema Ichthyologiae Iconibus ex Illustratum. Berlin. 584 pp. 110 pls See ref at BHL

Francis, M. 2001. Coastal Fishes of New Zealand. Auckland : Reed Publishing (NZ) 3, 103 pp.

Francis, M. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170 figs 1-2

Francis, M. 2019. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec islands. figshare. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7927556.v2

Grewe, P.M, Smolenski, A.J. & Ward, R.D. 1994. Mitochondrial DNA diversity in jackass morwong (Nemadacylus macropterus: Teleostei) from Australian and New Zealand waters. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51(5): 1101-1109. https://doi.org/10.1139/f94-109

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.

Jordan, A.R. 2001. Age, growth and spatial and interannual trends in age composition of jackass morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus, in Tasmania. Marine and Freshwater Research 52: 641–660. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF99157

Jordan, A.R. 2001. Spatial and temporal variations in abundance and distribution of juvenile and adult jackass morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus, in south-eastern Tasmania. Marine and Freshwater Research 52: 661–670. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF99156

Kailola, P.J., Williams, M.J., Stewart, P.C., Reichelt, R.E., McNee, A. & Grieve, C. 1993. Australian Fisheries Resources. Canberra : Bureau of Resource Sciences and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation 422 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1994. Family Cheilodactylidae. pp. 644-655, figs 566-574 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.

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.

Kuiter, R. & Kuiter, S. 2018. Coastal sea-fishes of south-eastern Australia. Seaford, Victoria : Aquatic Photographics, 371 pp.

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

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Ludt, W.B., Burridge, C.P. & Chakrabarty, P. 2019. A taxonomic revision of Cheilodactylidae and Latridae (Centrarchiformes: Cirrhitoidei) using morphological and genomic characters. Zootaxa 4585 (1): 121–141, https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4585.1.7

May, J.L. & Maxwell, J.G.H. 1986. Field Guide to Trawl Fish from Temperate Waters of Australia. Hobart : CSIRO Division of Marine Research 492 pp.

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Paulin, C.D. & Roberts, C.D. 1992. The rockpool fishes of New Zealand. Te ika aaria o Aotearoa. Wellington : Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 177 pp.

Richardson, J. 1839. Account of a collection of fishes from Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 7: 95-100 (as Nemadactylus concinnus) See ref at BHL

Richardson, J. 1842 . Description of Australian fish. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 3 (pt 1) (art. 5): 69-131, Pls. 4-6. (as Nemadactylus concinnusSee ref at BHL

Richardson, J. 1850. Notices of Australian fish. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 18: 58-77 figs 1-3 (as Cheilodactylus aspersus) See ref at BHL

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Roberts, C.D. & Gomon, M.F. 2008. Families Cheilodactylidae and Latridae. pp. 624-632 in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Robertson, D.A. 1978. Spawning of tarakihi (Pisces: Cheilodactylidae) in New Zealand waters. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 12: 277–286.

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Smith, D.C. 1982. Age and growth of the jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus Bloch & Schneider) in eastern Australian waters. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33: 245-253 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9820245

Smith, D.C. 1983. Annual total mortality and population stucture of jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus Bloch & Schneider) in eastern Australian waters. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 34(2): 253-260 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9830253

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Wayte, S.E. 2013. Management implications of including a climate-induced recruitment shift in the stock assessment for jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus) in south-eastern Australia. Fisheries Research 142: 47–55 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2012.07.009

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Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37377003

Depth:0-400 m

Fishing:Commercial/recreational fish

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:80 cm TL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map