Yellowtail Grunter, Amniataba caudavittata (Richardson 1845)


Other Names: English Wyandotte, Yellow-tail Grunter, Yellowtail Trumpeter, Yellowtailed Perch

Yellowtail Grunter, Amniataba caudavittata. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

A silvery-grey grunter, becoming paler below, and covered in golden-brown spots, with a prominent black blotch on each caudal-fin lobe, and irregular spots and bands on the dorsal and anal fins. Some individuals have 5 or 6 incomplete vertical bars along the upper sides.



Cite this page as:
Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2021, Amniataba caudavittata in Fishes of Australia, accessed 08 Dec 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/686

Yellowtail Grunter, Amniataba caudavittata (Richardson 1845)

More Info


Distribution

Widespread in the northern half of Australia, from Dunsborough, Western Australia, around the tropical north to at least Shoalwater Bay, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in New Guinea.

Mostly inhabits coastal marine  environments. Also found in brackish estuaries, the lower freshwater parts of rivers, and hypersaline waters, particularly in the more southern parts of its range. Occurs over a range of substrates and amongst many different aquatic vegetation types, including mangrove areas and seagrass beds.

Features

Dorsal fin XII-XIII, 8-10; Anal fin  III, 8-9; Pectoral fin 12-15; Pelvic fin I, 5; Gill rakers 6-8 + 1 + 12-13; Lateral line 46-54; Vertebrae 10-15.

Body oblong to ovate, moderately deep, 2.4-3.1 in SL, compressed; dorsal profile more pronounced than ventral, straight from snout to nape, then convex to dorsal origin; ventral profile nearly straight from tip of lower lip to pelvic insertion, then straight or barely convex to anus. Head length 3.0-3.7 in SL; eye width 3.5-4.4 in HL; Interorbital region with ridges. Snout elongate, length 2.6-3.6 in HL. Nostrils distant, separated by a distance equal to one-half eye diameter. Lacrimal serrate. Upper jaw slightly longer than lower; gape oblique; maxillary reaching to vertical through anterior edge of eye in young; falling short with age, reaching to vertical through region between nostril and eye in adults; jaw length 3.1-3-7 in HL; teeth in bands; outer row enlarged, inner series of villiform teeth; no teeth on vomer or palatines. Preoperculum slightly serrate, serrations largest on angle. Lower opercular spine longer and stronger; not extending beyond edge of opercular lobe. Posttemporal not exposed, covered with skin and scales. Cleithrum exposed; serrate posteriorly; scales on side. Supracleithrum exposed.

Scales finely ctenoid; lateral line continuous, smoothly curved; 4-6 scales on caudal; 14-17 predorsal scales to occiput; one row of scales in sheath at base of dorsal, sheath extending to third dorsal ray; 2-3 rows of scales in sheath at base of anal fin, sheath extending to fourth anal ray; cheek scales in 9-10 rows.

Dorsal fin continuous, length of base 1.9-2.1 in SL; spinous part arched, first spine short, fifth longest, 1.8-2.1 in HL, those following decreasing in length to last;  longest spine longer than longest ray, longest ray 1.8-2.2 in HL; soft part with posterior edge straight or slightly convex.  Spinous posrtion of anal fin with second spine strongest, length 2.2-2.8 in HL, longer than third, but shorter than longest anal rays; length of longest anal ray 2.3-2.7 in HL; soft anal with posterior edge straight or barely convex. Pectoral fins asymmetrically pointed; fourth ray longest. Pelvic fins pointed; first ray longest, filamentous, falling short of anus. Caudal fin emarginate.

Size

To 30 cm SL; commonly 20-22 cm.

Colour

Head darker above, pale ventrally. Body greyish on back, lighter ventrally; upper half with randomly dispersed reddish brown spots, some with 5-6 incomplete vertical bars on back running ventrally to level of pectoral fin at all sizes.

Spinous portion of dorsal fin reddish brown spotted and slightly dusky at margin; soft portion dusky basally, edge outlined by light to lemon yellow, sometimes with a median dusky band. Anal fin spines lemon yellow, soft portion light yellow. Pectoral fins clear to dusky. Pelvic fins lemon yellow to deep yellow. Caudal fin spotted basally; with a black blotch extending obliquely across each lobe.

Feeding

A benthic omnivore - feeds on a range of aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans, polychaete worms and algae.

Biology

Usually reaches maturity at 1-2 years of age. The sexes are separate and spawning occurs in estuaries. Females produce demersal eggs that are guarded and fanned by the male parent until the larvae hatch. Individuals may live for more than 3 years.

Fisheries

Taken by recreational anglers, although generally considered poor eating.

Similar Species

Differs from the similar Amniataba percoides in having large transverse black blotches across each lobe of the caudal fin versus a mottled caudal fin lacking blotches in A. percoides.

Etymology

The specific name caudavittata isfrom the Latin cauda (= tail) and vittatus (= striped) in reference to the prominent transverse black blotches across each lobe of the caudal fin of this species.

Species Citation

Datnia caudavittata Richardson, 1845, Zool. Erebus Terror 2: 24. Type locality: Harvey River, in freshwater, Western Australia.

Author

Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Yellowtail Grunter, Amniataba caudavittata (Richardson 1845)

References


Allen, G.R. 1982. Inland Fishes of Western Australia.  Perth : Western Australian Museum 86 pp. 6 figs 20 pls.

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia.  Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. pls 1–106.

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Australia.  Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Blaber, S.J.M., Young, J.W. & Dunning, M.C. 1985. Community structure and zoogeographic affinities of the coastal fishes of the Dampier region of north-western Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36: 247-266.

Chubb, C.F., Hutchins, J.B., Lenanton, R.C.J. & Potter, I.C. 1979. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Swan-Avon river system, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 8(1): 1-55.

Davis, A.M., Unmack, P.J., Pusey, B.J., Johnson, J.B. & Pearson, R.G. 2012. Marine-freshwater transitions are associated with the evolution of dietary diversification in terapontid grunters (Teleostei: Terapontidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 25(6): 1163-1179

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes.  Redcliffe : E.M. Grant Pty. Limited 9th Edn  880 pp.

Hitchcock, G., Finn, M.A., Burrows, D.W. & Johnson, J.W. 2012. Fishes from fresh and brackish waters of islands in Torres Strait, far north Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 56(1): 14-24.

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, B. 2004. Fishes of the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 66: 343–398.

Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers.  Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp.

Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 709-762.

Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp.

Morgan, D.L., Allen, M.G., Beatty, S.J., Ebner, B.C. & Keleher, J.J. 2014. A field guide to the freshwater fishes of Western Australia's Pilbara Province. Murdoch University, Murdoch Western Australia: i-iv + 1-65 + 4 unnumbered pp.

Morgan, D.L. & Gill, H.S. 2006. Osteology of the first dorsal fin in two terapontid fishes, Leiopotherapon unicolor (Gunther, 1859) and Amniataba caudavittata (Richardson, 1845), from Western Australia: evidence for hybridisation? Records of the Western Australian Museum 23 (2): 133-44.

Neira, F.J., Miskiewicz, A.G. & Trnski, T. 1998. Larvae of temperate Australian fishes: laboratory guide for larval fish identification. University of Western Australia Press. 474 pp.

Potter, I.C., Neira, F.J., Wise, B.S. &  Wallace, J.H. 1994. Reproductive biology and larval development of the terapontid Amniataba caudavittata, including comparisons with the reproductive strategies of other estuarine teleosts in temperate Western Australia. Journal of Fish Biology 45: 57-74.

Richardson, J. & Gray, J.E. (eds) The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S., during the years 1839–43.  London : E.W. Janson Vol. 2 139 pp. See ref online

Vari, R.P. 1978. The terapon perches (Percoidei, Terapontidae) a cladistic analysis and taxonomic revision. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 159(5): 175–340 figs 1–94.

Wise, B.S., Potter, I.C. & Wallace, J.H. 1994. Growth, movements and diet of the terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 45: 917-931.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37321007

Depth:0-10 m

Fishing:Recreational fish

Habitat:Coastal marine, estuarine, freshwater

Max Size:30 cm SL

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map