PORT PHILLIP BAY


Bastard Trumpeter 

Latridopsis forsteri (Castelnau, 1872)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: XVII, 37-42
Anal fin spines/rays: III, 31-37
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 16-19
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: (onto caudal fin) 101-113
Gill rakers:
Vertebrae: 14 + 21

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.
Southern Hemispere reef-dwelling fishes with a high number of dorsal and anal fin elements; dorsal fin, single long-based, deeply-divided; pectoral fin with upper rays branched, lower rays thickened and unbranched; Tail base very narrow, tail forked. Like morwongs, the pelagic young have a distinctive postlarval "paper fish" stage with a very compressed, silvery body. Popular food fishes.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Latridae
Genus:
Latridopsis
Species:
forsteri

General Description

Body rather long, compressed, moderately deep; tail base narrow; dorsal and anal fins low, dorsal fin deeply notched; tail deeply forked; pectoral fin bluntly pointed, upper rays longest. Silvery grey with greenish brown to brown irregular slender markings above lateral line, margin of pectoral fins and tail black, eye yellowish white. To 65 cm.

Biology

These fishes usually occur in small numbers but schools of thousands have been seen by divers. Their flesh is considered very good eating.

Habitat

On rocky reefs, in depths of 2-60 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

New Zealand and south-eastern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Trumpeters

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

65 cm

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in 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, Bastard Trumpeter, Latridopsis forsteri, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 20 Apr 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/7996

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