Southern Velvetfish

Appearance

The southern velvetfish has a long dorsal fin which originates just in front of the level of the eye and runs along its back, with just a narrow space between its last ray and the rounded caudal fin. The pectoral fins are long, rounded and have notches between the thickened upper fin rays. The dorsal fin contains between 13 and 15 spines and between 12 and 16 soft rays while the anal fin has a single spine and between 9 and 13 soft rays. The skin is thickened and has a velvet-like appearance. The lateral line runs along the flanks and has knobs and filaments of differing sizes. The colour varies from grey to cream or brown, marked with purplish mottling. This species grows to a maximum published total length of 23 cm.

Distribution

The southern velvetfish is found in the Indo-Pacific where it is endemic to the temperate waters of Australia, occurring from Minnie Water in the Yuraygir National Park in northern New South Wales soyuth and west to Shark Bay in Western Australia, including the northern coast of Tasmania. This species occurs at depths between 3 and 30 m in sheltered waters like bays and estuaries.

Behavior

The southern velvetfish is sometimes observed between rocks and sponges, sometimes partially burying itself in the sand. This species is a predator of small crustaceans such as shrimp. The spines in the fins are venomous. It is quite common but its habits and camouflage mean that it is infrequently observed by divers. When it swims it resembles floating seaweed, rolling from one side to the other as it slowly moves across the seabed.