PORT PHILLIP BAY


Congolli 

Pseudaphritis urvillii (Valenciennes, 1831)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: VII-VIII; 19-22
Anal fin spines/rays: II, 21-22
Caudal fin rays: 14
Pectoral fin rays: 17-19
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 59-65

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.
A large and highly diverse group of modern bony fishes many of which have a generalized perch like body form. Most have pelvic fins with one spine and 5 rays and the maxillary bone is excluded from the gape of the mouth. Interrelationships of the group are poorly understood and continue to be studied. They inhabit almost all aquatic habitats from high-altitude strams to the deep sea, although most are marine.

Family level detail.
Bottom dwelling fishes with a long slender body, a depressed head with prominent close set eyes on top, two separate dorsal fins, the first short-based, triangular, and pelvic fins under the head. Closely related to the Antarctic icefishes and temperate thornfishes.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Pseudaphritidae
Genus:
Pseudaphritis
Species:
urvillii

General Description

Body very long, slender, tail base compressed, moderately deep, snout rounded, lower jaw slightly longer than upper. Reddish-brown to bluish or purplish, marbled with greenish-brown and darker blotches above, pale below; two oblique black bars posteroventral from eye; eyes yellow. To 36 cm.

Biology

This fish is common in lower reaches of streams, often partially buried in sand or sediment. Adults migrate to estuaries to spawn.

Habitat

Coastal rivers, streams and estuaries, rarely in open coastal waters, to depth of 4 m.

Open water

Distribution guide

South-eastern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Icefishes

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

Midwater

Max Size

36 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, Congolli, Pseudaphritis urvillii, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6447

Text: creative commons cc by licence