Silver sweep | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Kyphosidae |
Genus: | Scorpis |
Species: | S. lineolata |
Binomial name | |
Scorpis lineolata Kner, 1865 | |
The silver sweep (Scorpis lineolata), also known as the false pompano, sweep, trumps or windawindawi, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the subfamily Scorpidinae of the sea chub family Kyphosidae. It is native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean from Australia to New Zealand.
The silver sweep has deep and strongly compressed body with a thin caudal peduncle. The head is moderately sized with an almost straight dorsal profile, a short snout and quite large eyes. The mouth is small and oblique with small but strong teeth in the jaws arranged in broad bands with the outer band being enlarged and recurved. Most of the body is covered in very small ctenoid scales and there is a gently curved lateral line. The dorsal fin continuous with a very short first spine, there are a 10 spines which progressively become higher towards the tail, the first rays in the soft-rayed portion of the dorsal fin is only slightly higher than the spiny portion giving the dorsal fin an almost straight profile. The soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin contains 26-28 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 27-28 soft rays. The soft portion of the dorsal fin is notably longer than they spiny portion. It has small pectoral fin are small with the uppermost rays being the longest. The pelvic fins are also small and are located below and to the rear of the pectoral fins. [1] Silver sweeps are greyish, blue-grey or green-grey dorsally and silver-grey ventrally, with the edge of the gill cover and the base of the pectoral fin being blackish. [2] This species can reach a length of 30 cm (12 in). [3]
The silver sweep is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand. [3] In Australia it is found from Moreton Bay in Queensland south to Tasmania and west as far as Victor Harbor, South Australia. It is also found in the Tasman Sea around Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. [1] Silver sweep are a common fish on the east coast of Australia, particularly in New South Wales. [4] In New Zealand silver sweep are distributed around the coast of the North Island. [5]
Adult silver sweeps are found on coastal reefs at depths down to at least 50 metres (160 ft), [4] [6] It feeds on plankton over rock reefs where it forms schools while juveniles settle in tide pools and can be found in the brackish waters of estuaries. They spawn in the winter with the peak breeding season between May and August. The eggs are pelagic. The young fish grow very quickly for the first 2–3 years but growth slows down significantly after sexual maturity, although they may live over 50 years. Silver sweeps have separate sexes. [7]
The silver sweep was first formally described by the Austrian ichthyologist Rudolf Kner in 1865 with the type locality given as Sydney in New South Wales. [8]
The silver sweep is of secondary importance as a target for commercial fisheries and is caught using purse seines and trap nets. Since 1997-98 the amount landed in New South Wales has declined from nearly 15t to less than 50t. About 60t are caught annually in New South Wales by recreational fishermen. [9] The flesh of the silver sweep is said to be firm and of excellent quality. [1]
The halfmoon, also known as the blue perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the subfamily Scorpidinae, part of the family Kyphosidae. It is native to the coasts of the eastern Pacific Ocean off western North America. It is fished for using hook and line and it is a desirable food fish.
The Australian herring, also known as the ruff, tommy ruff, or Australian ruff, is one of four Australasian fish species within the genus Arripis. It closely resembles its sister species, the Australian salmon, although it grows to a smaller size. Like the other members of its genus, it is found in cooler waters around the southern coast of Australia. It is not biologically related to the herring family Clupeidae.
The blue maomao, also known as the violet sweep, blue sweep or hardbelly, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a member of the subfamily Scorpidinae, part of the sea chub family Kyphosidae. It is native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean from Australia to New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands, where it can be found in inshore waters from the surface to depths of 30 m (98 ft). This fish can reach a length of 40 cm (16 in). It is commercially important and is also a popular game fish.
The parore also known as luderick, black bream or blackfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae which is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand. Parore or paraore is the common name in New Zealand but in Australia luderick is preferred.
The spiny-back eel, Notacanthus sexspinis, is a deep-sea spiny eel of the genus Notacanthus, found in all the Southern Hemisphere oceans at depths between 500 and 1,000 m. The length of this fish is up to 60 cm (24 in).
The comet grouper, also known as the comet cod or dot-dash grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is a species of deep coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.
The silver drummer, also known as the buff bream, buffalo bream, buffs, common buffalo bream, drummer bream, Southern silver drummer or Sydney drummer, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is found in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand where they are found in shallow water near rocky reefs.
The thorntail stingray, black stingray, or longtail stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is found off southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand from the intertidal zone to a depth of 440 m (1,440 ft). This bottom-dweller inhabits soft-bottomed habitats such as lagoons, estuaries, and reefs. Growing to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) across and over 200 kg (440 lb) in weight, the thorntail stingray is among the largest stingrays in the world. Uniformly dark above and light below, it has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc and a very long, whip-like tail with a fin fold underneath. The upper surface of the disc and the tail bear numerous stout, sharp thorns.
Plectorhinchus albovittatus, the two-striped sweetlips or giant sweetlips, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sweetlips belonging to the subfamily Plectorhinchinae, part of the grunt family Haemulidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Chelmonops curiosus, truncate coralfish, truncate butterflyfish, western talma or squareback butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is endemic to Australia.
The redmouth grouper, also known as the red-flushed rock cod is a species of ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide distribution in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is considered a game fish.
Kyphosus azureus, the zebra-perch sea chub, zebra perch or zebra sea chub, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae which is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean coasts of North America.
Scorpis is a genus of marine ray-finned fish from the subfamily Scorpidinae of the sea chub family Kyphosidae which are native to the eastern Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Equulites elongatus, the slender ponyfish, also called the elongate ponyfish, elongate slimy or elongated slipmouth, is a marine fish of the family Leiognathidae native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Lutjanus carponotatus, the Spanish flag snapper, stripey snapper, dusky-striped sea-perch, gold-banded sea perch, gold-stripe sea-perch, striped seaperch or stripey seaperch, is a species marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, from India to northern Australia.
Girella elevata, the rock blackfish, Eastern rock blackfish, black rockfish or Eastern rock blackfish drummer is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean around eastern Australian and northern New Zealand.
Notolabrus gymnogenis, commonly known as the crimson banded wrasse, is a species of fish in the family Labridae. This colourful fish is endemic to Eastern Australia.
Girella zebra, also known as zebrafish or stripey bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub in the family Kyphosidae. It lives in the Indo-Pacific, where it is endemic to the coastal waters of the southern parts of Australia.
Kyphosus bigibbus, the brown chub, grey drummer, darkfin drummer, insular rudderfish, grey chub, grey sea chub, southern drummer or topsail drummer is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is a herbivorous species which is found in subtropical and tropical seas worldwide.
Kyphosus vaigiensis, the brassy chub, brassy drummer, long-finned drummer, low-finned drummer, Northern silver drummer, Queensland drummer, Southern drummer, blue-bronze sea chub, brassy rudderfish, yellow seachub, large-tailed drummer, low-finned chub or long-finned rudderfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is a largely herbivorous species which has a circumglobal distribution. Studies in the 21st Century appear to have shown that some other species in the genus Kyphosus are junior synonyms of this taxon.