ANIMAL SPECIES:Australian Handfish, Brachionichthys australis Last, Gledhill & Holmes, 2007
The Australian Handfish was scientifically described in 2007. Two of the authors, Peter Last and Dan Gledhill, both from CSIRO Marine Lab in Hobart, are OzFishNet members.
Identification
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.
In addition to colouration differences, the Australian Handfish differs from the Spotted Handfish, Brachionichthys hirsutus, by having a larger eye, longer illicium, smaller esca and differences in fin lengths and ray counts.
Size range
The species grows to 8 cm in length.Distribution
It is endemic to Australia, occurring in marine waters from southern New South Wales to the Great Australian Bight, Western Australia.
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Australian Handfish specimens in the Australian Museum collection.
Habitat
The species is usually seen in the catches of trawls taken at depths between 18 m and 210 m.
Classification
- Species:
- australis
- Genus:
- Brachionichthys
- Family:
- Brachionichthyidae
- Order:
- Lophiiformes
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437. (as Brachionichthys sp)
- Last, P.R. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Last, P.R., Gledhill, D.C. & B.H. Holmes. 2007. A new handfish, Brachionichthys australis sp. nov. (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with a redescription of the critically endangered spotted handfish, B. hirsutus (Lacepède). Zootaxa. 1666: 53-68.
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A 42 mm Australian Handfish View full size
Mark McGrouther
© Australian Museum
A 52 mm Australian Handfish View full size
Mark McGrouther
© Australian Museum
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