Prawns

A confusing turnabout in gastronomic appelation, the California spot prawn is really a shrimp, and the ridgeback shrimp is a true prawn. Without a doubt, both are delicious.

Spot prawns are aptly named for the four bright white spots on their bodies. Commonly found from Alaska to San Diego, spot prawns inhabit rocky and adjacent areas at depths from about 150 to 1,600 feet. These prawns begin life as males then change sex to female after about two years, as they near spawning age. Spot prawns live about six years, reaching six inches in length. Monterey fishermen trap spot prawns yearlong; southern California trawlers fish for spot prawns during summer, and switch to ridgebacks in winter.

Ridgebacks, sometimes called Santa Barbara shrimp, are found from Monterey to Baja California and are fished primarily in the Santa Barbara Channel. The ridgeback's life span is about 4 years, and the sexes remain separate. With their sharp, spiny shells, "ridgies" are the dickens to peel but may be the sweetest tasting prawn on the West Coast.

Venomous Fish Outnumber Snakes

It's a good thing fish wouldn't survive long if loose on a plane. A new study finds there are more venomous fish than venomous snakes.

The 1,200 presumably venomous fish tallied in a new study is six times previous estimates. Fish with a biting bite outnumber all other venomous vertebrates combined, in fact.

"The results of this research were quite surprising," said researcher William Leo Smith of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

This might surprise you, too: More than 50,000 people are poisoned by fish bites every year, Smith and his colleague said. Symptoms range from blisters to death.

Watch out

Among the fish to look out for: lionfishes, catfishes, scorpionfishes, weeverfishes, toadfishes, surgeonfishes, scats, jacks, rabbitfishes, stargazers, and stonefishes. [Gallery of Venomous Fish]

Smith conducted the study along with Ward Wheeler, Curator in the Museum’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology. The results are reported in the Journal of Heredity.

Where are they all?

"Venomous fishes are in almost all habitats," Smith told LiveScience. "They range from mountain streams to the depths of all oceans, but the vast majority of the most venomous fishes are in the tropics, he said.

There are also "plenty of venomous fishes" in the United States, but most are "not particularly harmful," Smith said. Exceptions include a few scorpionfishes in California and the Western Atlantic.

"However, there is always the possibility of introduced species being quite venomous," he said. "And, we have an example of this in the case of the lionfish/firefish, which became introduced in Florida, and now individuals can be collected at least as far north as Long Island in the fall."

Should swimmers worry? "For the most part, no," Smith said. "But people should always exercise caution when dealing with unfamiliar fishes or known venomous species."

The good news

The study could be important for the development of new drugs. Venoms pack proteins that can be used to develop drugs to treat a range of ails from allergies to pain and even cancer, the scientists say. While many creatures have been tapped for drug development, fish remain a relatively untapped resource.

Six treatments for stroke or cancer developed from snake venom are nearing FDA review, the scientists point out. Scorpion venom has been used in a brain cancer treatment.

The new list was developed through DNA studies and morphological analysis of spiny-rayed fishes.

A separate study last year found there could be more than 1,500 venomous lizards

Warmer Seas Leave Fish Gasping

Warming oceans, one of the major consequences of global climate change, are making another marine species feel like a fish out of water, scientists report.

Biologists have known for years that global warming is linked to declining fish stocks, but a new study of eelpouts--big-headed fish that resemble eels--is the first to go deeper and see how warmer seas are linked to how fishes take in oxygen.

Scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany studied the relationship between sea temperature and eelpouts counts in the Southern North Sea, combining data from the field with lab investigations of eelpout physiology.

The researchers not only found that the oxygen levels in the waters of the North and Baltic seas have dropped due to increasing temperatures over the past 50 years, a factor that reduces fish populations. They also found that eelpouts need more oxygen in warmer waters, a second factor that is reducing their numbers.

Difficulty in taking up oxygen via respiration and blood circulation, caused by the warming waters, proved to be the key factor in diminishing the size of the fish stock.

The study, published in the Jan. 5 issue of the journal Science, also noted that the population of eelpouts dropped as average summer temperatures increased. The impact was also observed in the short term such that eelpout numbers decreased the year immediately after a warm summer.

Animals tolerate a limited range of environmental conditions. Anything out of their tolerance window can cause damage. Fish in the North Sea have evolved to tolerate a wider range of temperatures than fish elsewhere due to the large seasonal fluctuations there. However, warming waters and their impact on oxygen supply can stress fish to the point that their thermal tolerance range is thrown off and they perish, the scientists said.

In the future, eelpouts could prove to be important bioindicators that would help experts assess what might happen to other marine species in the region, the scientists said.

Worldwide, warming waters can be expected to strain species that require lots of oxygen, forcing them to either relocate to cooler waters or face extinction, the authors write

California Spiny Lobster

California spiny lobster range from Monterey Bay to Mexico, but most of the catch comes from the southern California coast and Channel Islands. Female lobster migrate to the shallows to spawn during spring and summer; in fall the population moves offshore to mate. Larval lobster drift in the ocean for 18 months and molt 12 times before they settle on the bottom. Adult lobster shed their shells once a year. Typically found in rocky habitat ranging from the intertidal zone to more than 240 feet deep, lobster are nocturnal, hiding in the rocks by day and foraging widely at night.

California lobster fishermen set rectangular traps for lobster. Trap regulations require an escape port for undersized lobster, and trap doors are fastened with bare metal crimps that dissolve in seawater over time. Open season extends from the first Wednesday in October to the first Wednesday after March 15. Minimum legal size for the commercial catch is 3.25" carapace length; these lobster reach legal size in 7 to 11 years. California spiny lobster lack the large pincer claws characteristic of east coast lobster; thus the sweet, tender meat is concentrated in the tail. California spiny lobster's fine texture and sweet flavor are prized in Asian markets

Rock and Spider Crab

California fishermen harvest three distinct species of rock crab -- all cousins of the Dungeness. Most of the catch comes from the Santa Barbara region, where rock crab are available yearlong. These members of the Cancer family are noted for the flavorful meat in their legs and claws; unlike Dungeness, there is little meat in the body.

Spider crab, also known as sheep crab, range from Cordell Bank (Marin County) south to Baja California in depths of 20 to 410 feet. They are caught in traps primarily in southern California. These knobby, long-legged crab are an uncommon treat: connoisseurs say the delicate flavor and firm texture of spider crabs' plentiful leg and body meat surpasses that of snow crab. Spider crab are sometimes called California king crab

Dungeness Crab

The largest edible true crab on the West Coast, Dungeness are fished from Alaska to central California and are generally found on open sandy bottom or near rocky reef-type substrate. Fishermen deploy circular crab pots to catch Dungeness, leaving them submerged on the ocean bottom overnight or longer, depending on fishing conditions. The central coast season opens the second Tuesday in November; Dungeness are a Thanksgiving tradition in the San Francisco Bay area. The northern California season opens December 1 (coinciding with Oregon and Washington) and extends to July 15. Northern ports of Crescent City, Eureka, and Fort Bragg account for as much as 95 percent of statewide landings.

The seasons are established to allow harvesting when crab are in prime market condition. Regulations prohibit commercial harvest of female crab and set a minimum size limit on males of 6 1/4" measured across the back. Dungeness are generally sold in whole, cooked form, although some are marketed alive, even shipped overseas. This popular seafood is often served in salads, in cioppino, or simply cracked on the plate, accompanied by drawn butter and crusty sourdough bread

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna are found throughout the tropical Pacific. The world's single largest biomass of yellowfin inhabits the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP), ranging from Chile to southern California. Tagging studies indicate that the ETP stock is a single population, with seasonal coastal migrations but no large-scale movement to the central or western Pacific. In the daytime, mature yellowfin associate with dolphins to some degree in all the world oceans. However, the relationship with dolphins is well-developed in the eastern Pacific. ETP tuna stocks have been regulated by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission since 1966.

Tuna was first canned in California in 1903; by 1907 the industry was well established, packing primarily albacore. By the late 1920's, the volume had shifted to yellowfin and the smaller skipjack. The development of brine refrigeration in the late 1930's led to the fishery's expansion far southward. In 1957, the introduction of strong, light-weight nylon netting and the power block spurred the traditional bait boat fleet to convert to purse seines, a more efficient and effective way to catch tuna.

The U.S. tuna fleet based in southern California grew to become the largest of its kind in the world. From 1982 through 1984, the major canneries in southern California relocated outside the U.S., unable to compete with foreign labor rates and increasing competition from imported, lower-priced water-packed tuna. The relocation of industry, and increasingly rigid marine mammal protection policies, are primary reasons why most U.S. tuna vessels now fish in the Western Pacific (many vessels also were forced to reflag or went bankrupt). California's tuna fleet is now a distant-water fleet that delivers its catch to canneries in Asia, American Samoa, South America and Puerto Rico

Bluefin Tuna

Bluefin spawn between Japan and the Philippines in the spring and summer and migrate across the Pacific in their first or second year of life, the journey taking seven months or less. These fast-swimming fish may grow to several hundred pounds. Bluefin are rarely encountered south of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, or north of Point Conception, California. Purse seiners targeting mackerel and sardines occasionally spot the herring-bone pattern of bluefin schools in the Santa Barbara Channel in summer and fall. In the fall of 1988, seiners landed nearly 1,000 large bluefin in a three-month period. Most of the fish were flown to Japan, where this ruby-red-meated fish is prized as sashimi and brings a high price.

Albacore Tuna

Albacore is the only tuna species allowed to be marketed as white meat tuna. Traditionally the premium canned tuna, this highly migratory species is gaining prestige in the finest white-tablecloth restaurants and sushi bars for its mild, delicate flavor.

A cosmopolitan fish, albacore range in subtropical and temperate oceans worldwide. In the Pacific, juvenile albacore embark on well-defined migrations between eastern and western shores. Research suggests that at least two subpopulations inhabit the North Pacific, each with different migration patterns. Spawning adults, more than six years old, make shorter journeys than their offspring.

Off the North American coast in summer and fall, albacore run from Baja California northward to Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands. California albacore fishermen troll feathered jigs at the ocean surface to catch these swift-swimming fish. Several members of the fleet also travel to the South Pacific to fish albacore during wintertime

Swordfish

Swordfish are found in tropical and temperate oceans worldwide. In the Pacific, swordfish range from Asia to the Americas and from northern waters off Alaska to the southern reaches of South America. Preferring warmer climes, swordfish characteristically surface at night and move to the depths in daylight. These broadbills congregate in areas where food is abundant, along frontal zones where ocean currents meet to create turbulence and sharp temperature breaks. There are five such zones in the Pacific, and this is where most fishing occurs. Swordfish are fished by many Pacific Rim countries: the top swordfish harvesting nations in the Pacific are Japan, Chile, and the Philippines, in order. California ranks fourth, representing about 10% of Pacific swordfish landings.

California swordfish fishermen are the most strictly regulated of all Pacific Rim fleets. Most California swordfish are caught with super-wide-mesh drift gillnets (18"-22" mesh) in a season open from August through January. The regulated use of these nets insures a consistent catch in all water conditions. Often enduring dangerous ocean conditions, California fishermen may range from north of San Francisco to the Mexican border and up to 200 miles offshore in search of swordfish. The men and women of California's swordfish fleet work hard to deliver a top-quality product to market. One of the most popular seafoods, swordfish steak is moderate flavored and can be easily broiled, baked, or grilled

Thresher Shark

Found in temperate waters, thresher sharks inhabit the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. In the Pacific, they range from British Columbia to southern California. These fish move with the season and water temperature; big fish tend to swim north in summer and south in winter. Reaching 25 feet in length, the thresher is identified by its small mouth and a tail that measures almost half of its total body length, which is used to stun prey.

California's commercial thresher shark season is open August 15 to December 15 inside 25 miles of the coast. Most thresher are caught within 25 miles of the mainland in an area extending from central California to the Mexican border. California fishermen with special permits employ super large-mesh (18"-22") drift gillnets to catch thresher, fishing at night and retrieving the catch at dawn. The fishery is closed in spring and early summer to protect breeding populations. Thresher are slow-growing sharks that give birth to live young, usually two to four pups a year.

Shark has become increasingly popular dining fare in the last decade. The primary shark harvested in California, thresher possesses firm texture, mild flavor, and pinkish colored flesh. A popular meat for grilling, it is also excellent when broiled, baked, or steamed. Other mild-flavored, equally tasty shark species landed in California include mako, also called bonito shark, and nearshore shark species such as angel, leopard , and soupfin shark

Pacific Sardine

Small pelagic fish often found in association with mackerel and anchovy, Pacific sardines are a member of the herring family. The principal stock ranges from northern Baja California northward as far as Alaska. Historically this population migrated extensively, moving north as far as British Columbia in summer and returning to southern California in the fall. In the 1930's and '40's, Pacific sardines provided the source for the largest fishery in North America; the sardine industry centered in California. More than 100 canneries and reduction plants from San Diego to San Francisco employed thousands of workers to process sardines. At its peak in 1936-37, this industry encompassed more than 350 boats, which produced 726,000 tons of fish. About 70% of the catch was reduced for fishmeal and 30% went for food -- three million cases of canned sardines.

Beginning in the late 1940's, sardines vanished -- first from the Pacific Northwest, then from Monterey, and in the 1950's from southern California. Scientists now recognize that, beyond fishing pressure, a change in oceanic cycles, reflected in an extended period of below-normal water temperatures, greatly influenced the decline.

In this current warm-water oceanic cycle, sardines have returned to abundance and fishing is regulated by quotas determined by the size of the spawning biomass. Today a much smaller wetfish fleet fishes sardines. In Monterey, sardine fishing peaks in summertime, when the fish are larger. In southern California, the sardine fishery begins in January. A federal management plan for coastal pelagic species, including sardines, anchovy, and mackerel, is under development by the Pacific Fishery Management Council

Sole fish

Dover, English, Petrale, and Rex sole are all highly popular flatfish species caught by California's trawl fleet. Until the emergence of the Pacific whiting fishery, these sole species were the most abundant groundfish in the California catch. The sole family is caught jointly with other marketable groundfish such as sablefish and thornyheads. Eureka, followed by Fort Bragg, Crescent City, Monterey, San Francisco, Morro Bay, and Port San Luis are the primary ports producing sole.

Generally speaking, soles spawn in deep water during wintertime and, shortly after spawning, move inshore through spring and summer months. However, tagging studies found that many mature Dover sole remain in deep water yearlong. Petrale tend to move shoreward and northward in summer.

Also varying by species, the sole family ranges from Baja California to northwest Alaska or the Bering Sea. Dover can be found on mud bottoms to depths of 4,800 feet. English and Petrale sole extend as deep as 1,500 - 1,800 feet. Petrale prefer sand bottom and have been known to move great distances. Petrale are larger than most California flatfish, and are the premium sole at market. Rex sole, which occur to about 2,100 foot depths on muddy-sandy bottom, are generally not filleted because their thin body does not allow for efficient recovery. Rex are highly prized by conoisseurs for bright, white flesh and a sweet, distinctive taste

Salmon

All Pacific salmon are anadromous, beginning life upstream, migrating to the ocean, then returning to their natal stream to spawn and die. King salmon, the largest of five Pacific salmon species, spawn in suitable rivers from the Sacramento - San Joaquin system northward.

California's commercial salmon fishery has endured since the mid-1800's. King salmon is the primary catch, although fishermen also occasionally land pink salmon. (Coho, or silver, salmon have been a prohibited catch for several years.) In its earliest days, the fishery operated in the lower Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, stimulated by the canning industry. The first salmon cannery on the Pacific coast began operating on the Sacramento River in 1864. Peaking in 1881-82, the industry later collapsed; the last cannery closed in 1919.

The ocean troll fishery began in the 1880's in Monterey Bay, the first trollers going to sea in small sailboats. Today's fishermen still use the basic techniques developed in the 1920's and '30's -- including powered gurdies and four to six main trolling lines. Today, entry to the fishery is limited. A fleet that numbered approximately 2,900 trollers in 1992 fish in a season that extends from May 1 through September 30, south of San Francisco. North of San Francisco Bay, the season is highly regulated to conserve Klamath River salmon stocks

Sablefish

Sablefish range from the Asiatic coast of the Bering Sea to northern Baja California. Dark gray to black in color, sablefish are sometimes called blackcod, although not a member of the cod family. They have long been an important component of the California catch. In the 1930's sablefish livers, rich in vitamin A, commanded a higher price than the meat. In recent years, most of the sablefish caught in California, as well as elsewhere on the Pacific coast, have been exported to Japan, where the velvet-textured, oily, white-meated fish is highly prized. The high oil content of the flesh produces an excellent smoked product. Many experts regard sablefish as one of the best flavored of all fish. Fishermen employ longlines, trawl nets, and traps to catch sablefish

Rockfish

Rockfish belong to the family Scorpaenidae, or scorpionfishes. One of the most important fish families in California waters, the rockfish group encompasses 59 species, most of them desirable at market. State law allows 13 species to be called Pacific red snapper. These include widow, bocaccio, chilipepper, vermilion, yellowtail, black, and olive rockfish, to name several. However, none of these fish is a true red snapper, which is an Atlantic species not found on the West Coast.

Many rockfish species range from Baja California to British Columbia, and some extend to Alaska. Adults of most species are found at depths to 1,200 feet. Rockfish are basically non-migratory fish. Recognized by the sharp spines on their dorsal fins, rockfish vary in length from 20" to 37" and may weigh up to 30 pounds. The species mix varies by area and fishing method: fishermen use hook and line (a category that includes both troll and longline), gillnets, and trawl nets to catch rockfish. Gillnet and trawl catches, which produce the largest volume at a reasonable price, are often processed into fillets for restaurants and retail sale, although some of this fish is also marketed whole. Hook and line rockfish are usually marketed in whole form, with a growing number delivered alive. Considered premium quality by Oriental markets, the hook and line catch receives top price.

Pacific Mackerel

Pacific mackerel, also called blue mackerel, occur worldwide in temperate and subtropical coastal waters. In the eastern Pacific they range from Chile to the Gulf of Alaska but are most abundant south of Point Conception, the demarkation point of southern California. These fish form dense schools as a defense against predators and are often found with other pelagic species, including jack mackerel and sardines.

Pacific mackerel supported one of California's major fisheries during the 1930's and '40's, and again during the 1980's and early 90's. A "wetfish," along with anchovies and sardines, mackerel are so called because they are canned with minimal pre-processing (wet from the ocean). The canning of Pacific mackerel began in the 1920's, paralleling the development of California's sardine industry. During the 1930's, mackerel was second only to Pacific sardines in total annual landings. From 1984 through 1991, Pacific mackerel ranked first in volume of finfish landed in California.

Mackerel is still an important catch for California's traditional purse seine fleet, which operates yearlong in the southern California Bight, occasionally traveling to offshore banks and the Channel Islands. Monterey's round-haul fleet also lands mackerel. Mackerel have a cyclic and seasonal pattern: fish tend to move offshore and out of range of the coastal fishery from January through May, then become increasingly abundant inshore until late fall. California's harvest is also governed by a quota that varies with the estimated biomass; this biomass is influenced by natural oceanic cycles.

Commercially harvested Pacific mackerel seldom exceed 16 inches in length and two pounds. Currently most of the Pacific mackerel catch is canned for human consumption and pet food, with a small amount sold to the fresh market

California Halibut

These bottom-dwelling flatfish are yearlong residents in sand and mud-bottomed coastal waters, found from the surf zone to about 300 feet deep, from Washington State to Baja California. The area of greatest abundance is southern California and northern Baja. California halibut, with a maximum length of 60 inches and weight to 72 pounds, are smaller than Pacific halibut. Ambush predators with both eyes usually located on the left side of the head, California halibut are non-schooling, unpredictable, elusive fish -- the "bread and butter" fish of California's nearshore groundfish fishery. Twenty-two inches is the minimum legal length for commercial sale of California halibut. In the last decade, California fishermen have provided an average 1.1 million pounds of this mild-flavored, white-meat fish to consumers. In normal ocean cycles, more than 70% of the catch originates in central and southern California waters. Because of their economy of operation and consistent ability to catch fish, gillnets historically provided most of California's halibut catch. California halibut are also caught with hook and line and large-mesh trawl in designated areas

Hake (Pacific whiting)

Pacific hake, the single largest biomass of fish in the Pacific, are found from the Gulf of Alaska to the Gulf of California. The largest of four major stocks, the "coastal stock" is managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Pacific whiting was considered an underutilized species until 1991, the first year that the entire quota was caught and processed by the U.S. fishing industry. (Although a small domestic fishery for hake has continued since the late 1800's, beginning in 1966 foreign fleets, and later joint ventures, with foreign processing vessels served by U.S. catcher boats, harvested hake.)

A delicate, white-meated fish, Pacific whiting are now processed into surimi by both sea-going factory trawlers and shoreside processing plants. Surimi, highly refined minced fish, is used in the production of imitation crab, scallop, and shrimp products. Shore-based plants in northern California, Oregon, and Washington process whiting.

Barracuda

California barracuda are nearshore, epipelagic, schooling fish found from Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, to Kodiak Island, Alaska. Thin and toothy, an axe handle with jaws, Pacific barracuda are smaller than their Atlantic relatives, and undeserving of the fierce image conjured by their name. However, the California variety is a fighting fish on a sportsman's line. Barracuda became a popular game fish after World War II. The catch has historically centered in southern California and northern Baja.

Barracuda figured prominently in the development of California's purse seine fishery in the early 1900's. Landings peaked in the early 1940's, then declined, while a series of state regulations supplanted the purse seine in favor of gillnets and hook and line. A popular market fish during the fishery's heyday, barracuda fell out of fashion -- out of sight, out of mind -- as the public taste turned to shark. Barracuda have returned to abundance, awaiting rediscovery as Californians increasingly value the health benefits of Omega-3-rich seafood.

Dolphin swimmers

Dolphins propel themselves by up and down movements of their tail flukes. They use their flippers for steering, turning and slowing down. The average dolphin swims at a rate of between 5 and 15 kilometres per hour. If they are being chased they are capable of swimming much faster to above 40 kilometres per hour.

Different dolphin species prefer different water temperatures. The Common Dolphin for example lives in warm waters whereas Belugas and Orcas can survive in arctic water temperatures. A dolphin's core body temperature is 98ºF whilst the outer body temperature is usually cooler. They have a thick layer of fat, called blubber, just beneath the skin which holds in the heat and keeps out cold.

Dolphins can slow down their hearts thereby using less oxygen than other animals. When diving deep for food, their lungs collapse and the heartbeats become even slower, enabling them to adjust to the greater pressure. They can control where oxygen is sent in their bodies. When they dive they send oxygen to the important brain and heart. Oxygen is stored in their blood and muscles.

Dolphins jump for a number of reasons. Sometimes it is to loosen tiny animals that cling to their skin, sometimes to travel faster or see further, at other times it is to confuse and herd fish they are chasing. They also jump when playing and having fun.

Toothed Dolphin

The Rough-Toothed Dolphin also known as the Black Porpoise looks alot like the Bottlenose. These dolphins often swim together, where it is most often seen in offshore waters.

Spotted Dolphin

The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin is very similar to the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin. They are found both inshore and offshore in warm seas.

Common Dolphin

The Common Dolphin is the most colorful of all dolphins. Their playful habits and evident joy strike responsive chords in humans. They can be found along the coast but likes deep water the best.

Spinner Dolphin

The Spinner Dolphin gets its name from leaping clear out of the water and rotating on its long axis. They are slim and trip and live in large herds. They live far from shore in tropical oceans.

Spotted Dolphin

The Spotted Dolphin is known for its spots on the body. Each one has their own unique markings. They are vigorous swimmers and travel in large herds. They are found in many geographical areas.

bottlen

The Bottlenose Dolphin is probably the best known of all dolphins, especially when it comes to echolation. The Bottlenose dolphins live all over the world, except in the coldest waters

Chromileptes altivelis

The Barramundi Cod is easily recognised by its concave dorsal head profile and the scattered black spots on its body and fins.

This species is often found in silty reef areas to a depth of at least 40m. Juveniles live in shallow water and are occasionally seen in rock pools at low tide.

The Barramundi Cod grows to 70cm in length. It occurs widely throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific.

In Australia it is found in tropical and subtropical waters. On the west coast adults are found as far south as Dirk Hartog Island, while on the east coast juveniles which come down with the East Australian current, are found as far south as Sydney.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Symbolophorus barnardi

The amount of light penetrating seawater depends upon many factors including the time of day, season, geographic location and the clarity of the water.

When light passes through water, it is absorbed and scattered by water molecules and particles in the water.

As water depth increases, the longer (red) wavelengths are the first to be absorbed and scattered. By about 10 m below the surface, most of the red and orange wavelengths of visible light are no longer present (view the pipefish natural light page). A source of artificial light must be used to view reds and oranges. For this reason, many divers carry a torch even during the day.

As depth increases the scattering and absorption of shorter wavelengths (yellows and greens) becomes evident. By about 150 m depth, even in the clearest water, human eyes can only see blue light.

Beyond about 800 m the human eye can detect no visible light from the surface. At these depths the only visible light is made by living organisms (more information on bioluminescence).

The eyes of some deepsea fishes are 15 to 30 times more light-sensitive than human eyes. Some deepsea fishes can detect light in depths down to 1300 m.

Carangoides plagiotaenia

The Barcheek Trevally is silver-grey. The body often has small grey and yellowish spots. There is a dark bar on the margin of the preoperculum (glossary).

This species grows to around 45cm in length.

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

In Australia it is known from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

Caesioperca rasor

The Barber Perch can be recognised by its colouration. Small juveniles are pink with a black head. Larger juveniles and females are pink with a blue line under the eyes. Males are yellowish to silvery with a blue spot on each scale. Males have blue lines on the head and blue-margined median fins.

It grows to 26 cm in length.

This species is found on rocky reefs in temperate marine waters

It is endemic to Australia, occurring from southern Victoria to south-western Western Australia.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

The Barber Perch is also known as the Barber Perch, Barber Sea Perch, Red Perch, Tasmanian Barber.

Cepola australis

The Bandfish has a very long slender body with tiny cycloid scales that are mostly embedded. Its long-based dorsal and anal fins are continuous with the pointed caudal fin. It has large eyes and a large oblique mouth. The small teeth form a single row in each jaw with an additional row of curved teeth at the front of both jaws.

This species is usually pink to red, often with a yellowish tinge.

It grows to 38 cm in length.

Bandfish live in burrows in areas of soft sediment at depths from a few metres to over 70 m.

The species is endemic to Australia, occurring in tropical and warm temperate waters from northern Queensland, along the east and south coasts to eastern South Australia.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Cepola australis was described by James Ogilby, Curator of the Australian Museum Fish Collection from 1884 until 1890. The holotype (AMS IA.3492) was caught in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) in 1885.

Fish currently identified as C. australis may represent more than one species. Further taxonomic work on specimens from across the geographic range is needed.

Orectolobus ornatus

The Banded Wobbegong can be recognised by its body shape and colouration. It has a broad, flattened head with skin flaps around the snout margin. The eyes are small and oval (see bottom image). This species has two dorsal fins which are positioned posteriorly on the body. The caudal fin has a long upper lobe. The anal fin is positioned so far posteriorly, it almost looks like a lower caudal fin lobe (more details).

This species is usually golden-brown with broad dark areas, and blueish-grey spots above. It is pale below. The margins of the fins often have dark spots. This can be seen on the leading edge of the pectoral fin in the upper image.

It is recorded from all Australian coasts and from Papua New Guinea. The similar Spotted Wobbegong, O.maculatus, is most commonly found in temperate Australian coastal waters from southern Queensland to south-western Western Australia. It can be distinguished from the Banded Wobbegong by its colour pattern which consists of broad dark saddles and distinct circles formed by groupings of small white dots.

The Banded Wobbegong is usually seen in clear water on inshore reefs and offshore islands to depths of at least 50 m. Divers most often see the Banded Wobbegong lying on the bottom during daylight hours. It is generally not aggressive, however it should be considered as potentially dangerous due to its large size (up to 3 m in length) and sharp teeth.

View a low resolution movie clip (47k) of this species. Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.

Hypoplectrodes nigroruber

The Banded Seaperch has four dark bands crossing the body and large, bulging eyes on top of the head. The base colour is variable from whitish to yellow, green or red.

This species grows to 30 cm in length.

It lives on coastal rocky reefs to depths of 30 m.

The Banded Seaperch is endemic to Australia. It occurs from northern New South Wales, around the temperate south of the country, including Tasmania, to south-western Western Australia .

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Melanotaenia trifasciata

The Banded Rainbowfish has a compressed body and a small head. Its dorsal and anal fins are both long-based.

This species is a popular aquarium fish that has a variety of colour forms. It is often bluish or greenish on the back and sides. The breast, belly and lower half of the head are usually silvery or whitish. The median fins are yellow or red. A dark stripe (sometimes faint) is usually present along the side of body.

The Banded Rainbowfish grows to 13 cm in length but is more commonly seen up to 8 cm.

This species is endemic to Australia. It occurs in freshwater streams and waterholes in northern parts of the Northern Territory and Cape York, Queensland.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Cheilodactylus spectabilis

The Banded Morwong is recognised by its distinctive pattern of seven or eight broad dark coloured bands. Many species of Morwongs (family Cheilodactylidae) are known to have distinctly elongated pectoral fin rays. The pectoral rays of the Banded Morwong however are only slightly elongated.

This species is most abundant in Tasmania and New Zealand. It is not often seen in south eastern mainland Australia so the photographer was surprised to see it in 8m of water at Shark Point, Sydney, New South Wales.

The Banded Morwong lives in marine waters down to a depth of 50m, and grows to a maximum length of about 1m.

The species name comes from the Latin word spectabilis, which means notable or showy. This name presumably refers to the striking banded pattern of the species.

Amniataba percoides

The Banded Grunter has five to eight black bars on the side of the body. The caudal fin has a dusky lower margin and spots centrally.

The species grows to about 12 cm in length.

Dietary items include insects, crustaceans and algae.

The Banded Grunter occurs in most major river systems of northern Australia from the Ashburton River in central Western Australia to the Burnett River in Queensland. It is also recorded from the Georgina and Finke Rivers in central Australia.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Psenes arafurensis

The Banded Driftfish has a compressed body, a small mouth and a deeply notched dorsal fin.

Juveniles are silvery with indistinct dark bands. Adults are silver grey with thin stripes.

This species grows to 23 cm in length.

Juveniles are often seen in coastal waters swimming with jellyfishes. Adults have been observed under floating weeds, but are probably benthopelagic.

It occurs worldwide in tropical marine waters.

In Australia it is known from off north-western Western Australia and off northern Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

The Banded Driftfish is also known as the Arafura Eyebrowfish and Dusky Driftfish.

Toxotes jaculatrix

The Banded Archerfish is known for its ability to shoot down resting insects by spitting a jet of water. Large archerfishes can hit a target 2-3m away.

Archerfishes have adaptations to the mouth which enable spitting. When a Banded Archerfish shoots a jet of water, it raises its tongue against the roof of the mouth forming a tube. The gill covers quickly close forcing water along the tube. View an image of the mouth of a Seven-spot Archerfish.

The Banded Archerfish is usually white or silvery on the body with 4 to 5 black bars on the upper half of the body.

This species mostly lives in mangrove and estuarine habitats throughout much of the Indo-Pacific. It is only rarely encountered in freshwater. In Australia it is recorded from north-western Western Australia to northern Queensland.

Pterocaesio pisang

The Banana Fusilier is slender fish with small scales and a strongly forked caudal fin. The body is dull pinkish or greenish-blue and the caudal fin has reddish tips. There are no stripes along the sides of the body.

It grows to 21 cm in length.

The Banana Fusilier is a schooling species that usually occurs near coral reefs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific.

Very few specimens of this species are registered in Australian museums, and little is known of its distributional range in Australian waters.

The Banana Fusilier looks similar to the Goldband Fusilier Pterocaesio chrysozona. The easiest way to tell them apart is the presence of a yellow stripe along the side of the body of the Goldband Fusilier.

Chaetodontoplus ballinae

The Ballina Angelfish can be recognised by its distinctive colouration. It is pearly grey to whitish with a broad region of black covering much of the back and pectoral fin base. There are black areas through the mouth and eye. The pectoral and caudal fins are yellow.

This species grows to 20cm in length.

It occurs in subtropical marine waters at depths between 15m and 120m.

The Ballina Angelfish is only known from coastal northern New South Wales and Balls Pyramid (view image of Ball's Pyramid on NORFANZ website), near Lord Howe Island, New South Wales.

It is protected in New South Wales waters (further information).

The species was described in 1959 by G.P. Whitley, Curator of the Australian Museum Fish Department for 42 years. He described the species based on a single specimen caught off Ballina, northern New South Wales (view type information).

It wasn't until 1978 that another specimen was collected by K. Graham (NSW Fisheries), working aboard the FRV Kapala. This fish was trawled from a depth of around 120m off Evans Head (AMS I.22515-001).

Three specimens were obtained in 1994 by P. Parker at a depth of 25m near Ball's Pyramid (AMS I.34842-001).

The NORFANZ expedition in 2003 trawled three specimens at a depth of 90m, near Ball's Pyramid, south-east of Lord Howe Island (see image). K. Graham and K. Parkinson (NORFANZ voyage participants) registered one of these specimens into the Australian Museum Fish Collection (AMS I.42727-004).

Bodianus axillaris

Adult Axilspot Hogfish are red-brown anteriorly, grading to white posteriorly. They have a large black spot on the pectoral fin base, on the soft dorsal fin and on the anal fin. Juveniles are black with two rows of large white spots.

The Axilspot Hogfish grows to 20cm in length.

This species has a widespread Indo-Pacific distribution.

In Australia it is recorded from the south-western coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the central coast of New South Wales.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Retropinna semoni

As soon as Tony, Mark and Josh collected this fish they knew it was unusual.

It closely resembles an Australian Smelt Retropinna semoni; however it has bright orange fins and several other unusual characteristics.

This fish will be the subject of a new research program on the genus in Australia

Atypichthys strigatus

The Australian Mado has a silver body with dark brown to black stripes, and yellow fins. It has large eyes, a small mouth and a forked tail.

This species grows to 25cm in length. It is found on coastal and estuarine reefs and is one of the most common species in New South Wales.

The Australian Mado is recorded from southern Queensland to eastern Tasmania. View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

The Australian Mado looks very similar to the New Zealand Mado (view fact sheet) but differs in colouration and fin ray counts.

Australian Lungfish

The Australian Lungfish has a long, heavy body with large scales. It has small eyes and paddle-like pectoral fins and pelvic fins. Its dorsal fin starts midway along the back and is continuous with the caudal and anal fins.

This species is usually olive-green to brown on the back and sides with some scattered dark blotches, and whitish ventrally.

It grows to about 1.5 m in length and over 40 kg. The Shedd Aquarium's Australian Lungfish, affectionately known as 'Granddad' (see top image) is over 80 years old, and is possibly the oldest fish in captivity.

The Australian Lungfish has a single lung, whereas all other species of lungfishes have paired lungs. During dry periods when streams become stagnant, or when water quality changes, lungfishes have the ability to surface and breathe air. When the Australian Lungfish surfaces to empty and refill its lung the sound is reportedly like that of the "blast from a small bellows". Under most conditions, this species breathes exclusively using its gills.

Food items include mainly frogs, tadpoles, small fishes, snails, shrimp and earthworms. It will also eat plant material. The eyesight of the Australian Lungfish has been reported to be poor and the location of prey was thought to be based on the sense of smell rather than sight. The recent work of Watt et al (1999) has shown that the Australian Lungfish can use electroreception to locate hidden prey. Their research on the anatomy of this species has shown the presence of organs similar to those used for the detection of electric signals in other fishes, such as sharks.

The Australian Lungfish is normally found in still or slow flowing pools in river systems of south-eastern Queensland. It occurs naturally in the Burnett and Mary River systems although has been introduced into other rivers and reservoirs in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales.

This species spawns at night from August to December with peak activity in October. Fertilized eggs are stuck to aquatic plants and hatching takes about three weeks. Growth is very slow, with young reaching 6 cm in length after 8 months and 12 cm after two years. View images of Australian Lungfish eggs, juveniles and adults in the Wildgrove P/L image gallery.

The Australian Lungfish is a protected species and may not be captured without a special permit. It is also listed in Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Australia is a signatory to CITES and has strict regulations on the export of the Australian Lungfish.

Worldwide, there are six species of lungfishes. Four species in the genus Protopterus (Family Protopteridae) are found in Africa. One species Lepidosiren paradoxa (Family Lepidosirenidae) is recorded from South America. The Australian Lungfish is the only species in the Family Ceratodontidae.

The African lungfish Protopterus annectens is known for its ability to bury in the mud. At the onset of the dry season when water bodies dry up, this species is able to secrete large quantities of mucous. The mucous hardens to form a cocoon in which the fish stays dormant for several months. Other species of African lungfishes also have this ability to varying extents.

The South American Lungfish can only breathe air. It can survive for months in a resting chamber of moist mud and mucous. The Australian Lungfish does not bury in the mud or form a cocoon and cannot survive for more than a few days out of water.

The lungfishes first appeared in the fossil record 380 million yeas ago. They are relics of ancient fish groups that were related to the ancestors of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

View a map of the collecting localities of Australian Lungfish specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Australian Handfish

The Australian Handfish has a small mouth and gill openings that are restricted to a tubular pore behind the pectoral fins. It has prominent hand-like pectoral fins and jugular pelvic fins.

The dorsal fin is divided into three parts; an illicium on the snout, a tall sail-like spinous dorsal fin on top of the head, and a long-based soft-rayed dorsal fin along the back.

The Australian Handfish is pale with yellow to brown dashes. Most fins are clear with black spots.

The species grows to 8 cm in length.

It is endemic to Australia, occurring in marine waters from southern New South Wales to the Great Australian Bight, Western Australia.

It is usually seen in the catches of trawls taken at depths between 18 m and 210 m.

In addition to colouration differences, the Australian Handfish differs from the Spotted Handfish by having a larger eye, longer illicium, smaller esca and differences in fin lengths and ray counts.

Upeneus australiae

The Australian Goatfish has five and six oblique black bars on the upper and lower caudal fin lobes respectively and seven first dorsal fin spines. Dorsally It is light brownish with white reticulations. The lower sides are white. There is a yellowish-brown stripe along the sides of the body.

It grows to about 9 cm in standard length.

This species occurs in Australia and New Caledonia. In Australia, it is currently known from few locations off north-western Western Australia, Queensland and the Sydney-Wollongong region of New South Wales.

It is a benthic species that occurs in shallow (<15>

Rhinoptera neglecta

The Australian Cownose Ray is easily recognised by its unusual bi-lobed head. Under the snout are two large fleshy lobes. These are often mistaken as the entrance to the mouth. The mouth however, is on the ventral surface (underneath) the fish. The flat, plate-like teeth are used to crush and grind crustaceans and other invertebrates.

The Australian Cownose Ray is dark greyish dorsally (on top) and white ventrally (underneath). It has a single dorsal fin, and a whip-like tail, with one or more serrated spines near the base. The spines have been damaged in the specimen in the images, and are not visible.

This species has been recorded along the east coast of Australia, from Cairns, northern Queensland (16^oS) to Newcastle, New South Wales, (32^oS). The fish in the images was caught near Wattamolla, New South Wales, (33^oS) and is a new southern record for the species. It was captured in April 1999, and brought to the Fish Section by D. Reid of NSW Fisheries. It is a male, 1120cm in length, 85.5cm across the pectoral fins (the "wings"), and weighing approximately 13kg.

The family Rhinopteridae contains only one genus, Rhinoptera, with ten species found in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide. They are most abundant in coastal waters and often enter estuaries. Only one species of cownose ray has been reliably recorded from Australia. Reports of the Javanese Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera javanica Müller & Henle, 1841, occurring in Australian waters are yet to be confirmed.

Pomacentrus australis

Adult Australian Damsels are blue to bluish-grey on the upper sides of the body and often paler below. The centre of each scale is blue. Juveniles are vivid blue.

The species grows to 10 cm in length.

It occurs on shallow coral and rocky reefs as well as muddy areas throughout the Indo-West Pacific.

In Australia it is known from the central coast and reefs of Queensland to the southern coast of New South Wales.

The Australian Damsel looks similar to the Blue Damsel. The two species can be distinguished by the yellow anal and caudal fins of the Blue Damsel.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Burrfish

The Australian Burrfish has a rounded body that is covered with stout blade-like spines. It has rounded dorsal, anal and caudal fins. Its pectoral fins have indented posterior margins.

Two forms of the species are recognised. A shallow-water form has scattered dark spots dorsally. The deep-water form has yellow blotches on the sides.

This species is known from as shallow as 5 m in estuaries to at least 320 m in offshore waters, where it is sometimes caught in the nets of trawlers.

The Australian Burrfish occurs in temperate marine waters from central New South Wales to Western Australia, including Tasmania. It is also known from some seamounts on the Norfolk Ridge, Tasman Sea.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.