PORT PHILLIP BAY


Beaked Salmon 

Gonorynchus greyi Richardson, 1845

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: 12-13
Anal fin spines/rays: 10
Caudal fin rays: 19
Pectoral fin rays: 10
Ventral fin spines/rays: 9

Interpreting fin count meristics.
Spines are in Roman numerals and soft rays are in Arabic numerals. Spines and rays that are continuous in one fin are separated by a comma. Fin sections are separated by semicolons.

Detailed descriptions of fin count and other meristics are in:
Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) (2008) Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Order level detail.
Slender fishes with small mouths, no teeth, a single short-based dorsal fin, abdominal pelvic fins and strongly forked tails. All species have a primitive yet specialised arrangement of bones that transmit sound waves to the inner ear. The largest species reaches a length of 1.5 m. The order contains a single famly, the Gonorynchidae.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Superorder:
Ostariophysi
Order:
Gonorynchiformes
Suborder:
Gonorynchoidei
Family:
Gonorynchidae
Genus:
Gonorynchus
Species:
greyi

General Description

Body very long, slender; snout pointed; mouth on underside, upper jaw protrusible; dorsal, pelvic and anal fins small, rounded, far back on body. Sandy coloured; dorsal, anal and tail fins with a large black blotch. To 50 cm.

Biology

This species feeds by poking around in the sand with its tube-like mouth, searching for invertebrates. It dives into the sand to escape predators.

Habitat

Usually on sandy bottoms, especially in channels of bays and estuaries, adults in deeper offshore waters, in depths of 0-200 m.

Soft substrates

Reefs

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Sandfishes

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

50 cm

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Bray, D.J.

Di Bray is a Senior Collection Manager of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Gomon, M.F.

Dr. Martin Gomon is a Senior Curator of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F., 2011, Beaked Salmon, Gonorynchus greyi, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 28 Jul 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6323

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