Splendid sea perch

The splendid sea perch (Callanthias allporti), also called the rosy perch, Allport’s groppo, Allport's perch, Southern goldie or Southern splendid perch is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Callanthiidae. This fish is found off southern Australia and New Zealand.

Splendid sea perch
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Spariformes
Family: Callanthiidae
Genus: Callanthias
Species:
C. allporti
Binomial name
Callanthias allporti
Günther, 1876

Taxonomy

Callanthias allporti was first formally described in 1876 by the German-born British herpetologist and ichthyologist Albert Günther with its type locality given as Tasmania.[1] The genus Callanthias is one of two classified in the family Callanthiidae which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies in the order Spariformes.[2]

Etymology

The Splendid sea perch has the specific name allporti which honours the British born lawyer and naturalist Morton Allport who presented two specimens of this species to the British Museum (Natural History).[3]

Description

The splendid sea perch has its dorsal fin supported by 11 spines and 10 soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 10, occasionally 9, soft rays.[4] The spines in the dorsal fin increase in length towards the tail. The body is slender with a blunt snout.[5] The caudal fin varies in shape from emarginate to lunate with the adults growing long filaments on the lobes.[4] The overall colour is pink with an iridescent blue eye with patches of yellow on the chin, throat and the base of the pectoral fins, the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin are also yellowish. There is some variation in colour and some specimens may be completely reddish orange.[6] This species has a maximum published total length of 30 cm (12 in).[7]

Distribution and habitat

The splendid sea perch is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean. In Australian waters its range extends from Seal Rocks in New South Wales south to Victoria and Tasmania. Records in Western Australia are though to misidentifications of C. australis. This species has also been recorded off Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea.[6] In New Zealand this species is found the Bay of Islands to Snares Islands and around the Chatham Islands.[5] It is found near inshore rocky reefs at depths between 20 and 100 m (66 and 328 ft)[7] using caves and crevices for sheltering at night or from threats.[6]

Behaviour

The splendid sea perch feeds on zooplankton above the bottom on reefs in shallower waters, often forming mixed shoals with the butterfly perch (Caesioperca lepidoptera).[6] Callanthis species appear to be protogynous hermaphrodites and the grow of the filaments on the caudal fin may be related to females changing to males.[4]

References
  1. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Callanthias". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  2. Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 502–506. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN 2015037522. OCLC 951899884. OL 25909650M.
  3. "Series EUPERCARIA (Incertae sedis): Families CALLANTHIIDAE, CENTROGENYIDAE, DINOPERCIDAE, EMMELICHTHYIDAE, MALACANTHIDAE, MONODACTYLIDAE, MORONIDAE, PARASCORPIDIDAE, SCIAENIDAE and SILLAGINIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. Anderson, W.D.Jr.; Johnson, G.D.; Baldwin, C.C. (2015). "Review of the Splendid Perches, Callanthias (Percoidei: Callanthiidae). Transactions of the American Philosophical Society". 105 (3): 1–126. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. McMillan, P.J.; Francis, M.P.; Paul, L.J.; et al. (2011). New Zealand fishes. Volume 2: A field guide to less common species caught by bottom and midwater fishing. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report. Vol. 78. Ministry of Fisheries, Wellington. p. 117. ISSN 1176-9440.
  6. Bray, D.J. (2022). "Callanthias allporti". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  7. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Callanthias allporti" in FishBase. June 2023 version.
  • Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
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