Large kelpfish

Last updated

Large kelpfish
Chironemus marmoratus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Centrarchiformes
Family: Chironemidae
Genus: Chironemus
Species:
C. marmoratus
Binomial name
Chironemus marmoratus
Günther, 1860
South of Eden, New South Wales CmarmoratusRLS.jpg
South of Eden, New South Wales

The large kelpfish (Chironemus marmoratus), the Eastern kelpfish, hiwihiwi, surgefish or kelpfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a kelpfish belonging to the family Chironemidae. It is found in southern Australia, and off the North Island of New Zealand, at depths down to 30 m.

Contents

Taxonomy

The large kelpfish was first formally described in 1860 by the German born British ichthyologist Albert Günther with the type locality given as the Swan River and Erub on the western coast of Australia, an error, this is outside of the known range of this species. [1] The specific name marmoratus means "marbled" a reference to the pattern of colouration on this fish's body. [2] C. marmoratus is a part of the infra class Teleostei, which are the modern ray-finned fishes. This is an incredibly diverse subclass in the larger class Actinopterygii. [3] These fish are termed "ray-finned fish" due to their flexible rays. Rays are transparent, flexible fins on the sides, top, and bottom of a fish. These are adaptations used for hydrodynamics and maneuverability in the water. [4]

Description

The large kelpfish has a pointed snout and a small mouth. [5] There are 14-15 spines and 16-20 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 6-8 soft rays. The maximum standard length recorded is 40 cm (16 in). [6] It has large pectoral fins with the upper rays being branched and the lower ones being unbranched and robust. [7] The colour of the body can be grey, brown, green or pinkish and the head and body are covered in small white spots, with the body having large dark blotches. [8]

Distribution and habitat

The large kelpfish is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It occurs in Australia from Fraser Island in Queensland to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, the islands in the Bass Strait and north-eastern Tasmania, as well as Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. [8] In New Zealand it is found around the North Island, between the North Cape and East Cape. [5] This species is found in kelp and areas with macroalgae on reefs in shallow water in area that are frequently subjected to powerful surges or waves, [8] often being found in the intertidal zone [7] or around 10 meters depth. [9] In Northeast New Zealand, C. marmoratus is commonly found in barren habitats with other fish like Girella tricuspidata and Parma alboscapularis. [10] It is also sometimes found in shallow breakwater areas over winter. [11] C. marmoratus is one of only a few species to have a trans-Tasman distribution in one Australian study. [12] This is surprising because the islands of New Zealand were historically connected to Australia through the Gondwana landmass.

Biology

The large kelpfish feeds on invertebrates, [7] including small molluscs, crabs and sea urchins. The fertilised eggs are reportedly attached to fronds of seaweed within cavities in reefs. [13] These fishes remain close to the seabed and continually move around the surge zone and may be found in large aggregations. [14] C. marmoratus is considered a site-attached predator and is a relatively poor swimmer. It has been known to rest along the bottom and will jump between habitats rather than continuously swim. [15] In another study from New Zealand, C. marmoratus, though able to swim against the current, refused to do so. [16] The fish instead used its pectoral fins and hydrodynamics to hold itself in place along the bottom without swimming. The large kelpfish is also considered crepuscular, meaning it is most active during the twilight period of the day. [17]

Conservation status

The C. marmoratus populations are generally stable but do depend on the health of their habitat, the kelp forests. Factors like pollution, climate change, overfishing, and coastal development can all pose a risk to the kelp forest ecosystem and ultimately the large kelpfish. [18] A study from Australia analyzing the amount of plastic in reef fish found that while most reef fish had no plastic in their guts, out of five C. marmoratus fish, one had plastic in its gut. [19] The large kelpfish have decreased in abundance in the past, according to one 1990 study in New Zealand. [20] In this study, the large kelpfish abundance in the rocky reef decreased from 1978 to 1988.

References

  1. ↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Chironemus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  2. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (25 February 2021). "Order CENTRARCHIFORMES: Families CENTRARCHIDAE, ELASSOMATIDAE, ENOPLOSIDAE, SINIPERCIDAE, APLODACTYLIDAE, CHEILODACTYLIDAE, CHIRONEMIDAE, CIRRHITIDAE, LATRIDAE, PERCICHTHYIDAE, DICHISTIIDAE, GIRELLIDAE, KUHLIIDAE, KYPHOSIDAE, OPLEGNATHIDAE, TERAPONTIDAE, MICROCANTHIDAE and SCORPIDIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Teleost | Anatomy, Adaptations & Classification | Britannica , retrieved 19 October 2025
  4. ↑ Flammang, B. E., Alben, S., Madden, P. G. A., Lauder, G. V. (2013). "Functional morphology of the fin rays of teleost fishes". Journal of Morphology. 274 (9): 1044–1059. Bibcode:2013JMorp.274.1044F. doi:10.1002/jmor.20161. ISSN   1097-4687. PMID   23720195.
  5. 1 2 "Creatures Of The Kelp Forest: Introducing Kelpfish". Just Gotta Dive. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Chironemus marmoratus". FishBase . June 2021 version.
  7. 1 2 3 Mark McGrouther (11 March 2021). "Eastern Kelpfish, Chironemus marmoratus (Günther, 1860)". Australian Museum. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Bray, D.J. (2018). "Chironemus marmoratus". Fishes of Australia. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Meléndez, R., Dyer, B. S. (December 2010). "Review of the southern hemisphere fish family Chironemidae (Perciformes: Cirrhitoidei)". Revista de biología marina y oceanografía. 45. Universidad de Valparaíso. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar: 683–693. doi:10.4067/S0718-19572010000400012. ISSN   0718-1957.
  10. ↑ Anderson, M. J., Millar, R. B. (16 July 2004). "Spatial variation and effects of habitat on temperate reef fish assemblages in northeastern New Zealand". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 305 (2): 191–221. Bibcode:2004JEMBE.305..191A. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2003.12.011. ISSN   0022-0981.
  11. ↑ Fowler, A. M., Booth, D. J. (26 September 2013). "Seasonal Dynamics of Fish Assemblages on Breakwaters and Natural Rocky Reefs in a Temperate Estuary: Consistent Assemblage Differences Driven by Sub-Adults". PLOS ONE. 8 (9) e75790. Public Library of Science. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...875790F. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075790 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMID   24086634.
  12. ↑ Griffiths, S. P. (1 September 2003). "Rockpool ichthyofaunas of temperate Australia: species composition, residency and biogeographic patterns". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 58 (1): 173–186. Bibcode:2003ECSS...58..173G. doi:10.1016/S0272-7714(03)00073-8. ISSN   0272-7714.
  13. ↑ "Hiwihiwi (Chironemus marmoratus Günther)". nzunderwaterlife. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Chironemus marmoratus (Gunther, 1860)". Solitary Islands Underwater Research Group, Inc. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  15. ↑ Nagelkerken, I., Goldenberg, S. U., Ferreira, C. M., Russell, B. D., Connell, S. D. (24 July 2017). "Species Interactions Drive Fish Biodiversity Loss in a High-CO2 World". Current Biology. 27 (14). Elsevier: 2177–2184.e4. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.023. ISSN   0960-9822. PMID   28690109.
  16. ↑ Dudley, B., Tolimieri, N., Montgomery, J. (2000). "Swimming ability of the larvae of some reef fishes from New Zealand waters". Marine and Freshwater Research. 51 (8). CSIRO PUBLISHING: 783–787. Bibcode:2000MFRes..51..783D. doi:10.1071/mf00062. ISSN   1448-6059.
  17. ↑ Pankhurst, N. W. (1 November 1989). "The relationship of ocular morphology to feeding modes and activity periods in shallow marine teleosts from New Zealand". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 26 (3): 201–211. Bibcode:1989EnvBF..26..201P. doi:10.1007/BF00004816. ISSN   1573-5133.
  18. ↑ Eastern Kelpfish (Chironemus marmoratus) - Marine Life Identification, 2024, retrieved 19 October 2025
  19. ↑ Puskic, P. S., Coghlan, A. R. (1 December 2021). "Minimal meso-plastics detected in Australian coastal reef fish". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 173 113074. Bibcode:2021MarPB.17313074P. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113074. ISSN   0025-326X.
  20. ↑ Cole, R. G., Ayling, T. M., Creese, R. G. (1 June 1990). "Effects of marine reserve protection at Goat Island, northern New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 24 (2). Taylor & Francis: 197–210. Bibcode:1990NZJMF..24..197C. doi:10.1080/00288330.1990.9516415. ISSN   0028-8330.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.