PORT PHILLIP BAY


Silverbelly 

Parequula melbournensis (Castelnau, 1972)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: IX, 16-17
Anal fin spines/rays: III, 17
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 14-15
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 37-38

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.
Small silvery fishes with pointed heads, distinctly protrusible mouths, long-based dorsal fins, a deeply forked tail and large scales that are easily shed.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Gerreidae
Genus:
Parequula
Species:
melbournensis

General Description

Body oval, compressed; snout short, pointed; mouth small with highly protrusible jaws; dorsal and anal fins long-based, dorsal fin low at front, higher towards rear; tail base slender, caudal fin slightly forked; scales cycloid, weakly attached. Body a pale silvery-pink to silvery-blue with a thin yellow margin to the dorsal, anal and caudal fins and faint blue and yellow markings on body. To 22 cm.

Biology

The Silverbelly is often seen in schools near seagrass beds, where they feed on benthic invertebrates.

Habitat

On sandy and silty bottoms in shallow bays and estuaries, also in deeper offshore waters, in depths of 0-100 m.

Soft substrates

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Silver biddies

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

22 cm

Diet

Carnivore

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, Silverbelly, Parequula melbournensis, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/8002

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