PORT PHILLIP BAY


Rock Ling 

Genypterus tigerinus Klunzinger, 1872

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: 144-157
Anal fin spines/rays: 107-117
Caudal fin rays: 9
Pectoral fin rays: 21-22
Ventral fin spines/rays: 1

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.

Family level detail.
Elongate, eel-like fishes with bodies tapering to a point, long-based low dorsal and anal fins joined to the tail fin, pelvic fins either absent or reduced to 1-2 slender rays usually on the underside of the head; scales small, cycloid. Some species have barbels around the mouth. Brotulas are egg layers and males lack the specialised copulatory organs found in the live-bearing cusk eels of the Family Bythitidae.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Ophidiiformes
Family:
Ophidiidae
Genus:
Genypterus
Species:
tigerinus

General Description

Body long, slender with long-based dorsal and anal fins continuous with the pointed tail. Mouth large, terminal, upper jaw extending beyond eye; a single feeler-like pelvic fin arising below middle of eye on each side; pectoral fins small; scales minute, smooth, embedded in skin. Body and head a motttled greyish, with prominent blackish spots or blotches; pectoral fins broadly banded or spotted; pelvic fins pale, other fins blackish with a narrow white margin; large individuals almost black. To 1.2 m.

Biology

Rock lings are considered good eating, although they are overfished in some areas along the coast.

Habitat

Adults found in caves and crevices during the day, juveniles often in seagrass beds, in depths of 1-60 m.

Reefs

Seagrass meadows

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Cusk-eels, ling and allies

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor Midwater

Max Size

1.2 m

Commercial Species

Yes

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, Rock Ling, Genypterus tigerinus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 22 Nov 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6336

Text: creative commons cc by licence