PORT PHILLIP BAY


Black Bream 

Acanthopagrus butcheri (Munro, 1949)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: X-XIII, 10-13
Anal fin spines/rays: III, 8-10
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 14-16
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 44-56

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.
Mostly coastal fishes with rather deep compressed bodies, a small mouth broadly separated from the eye, a single long-based dorsal fin with strong spines and soft rays, long pointed pectoral fins and rather large, firmly attached scales. Jaws with two forms of teeth, canines or incisors at the front and rounded or flattened molars in the rear.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Sparidae
Genus:
Acanthopagrus
Species:
butcheri

General Description

Body deep, compressed; dorsal fin long-based; tail base much longer than deep; scales absent from space between eyes; jaws with peg-like teeth at the front and molars at the rear; scales rough to touch. Brown to bronze above, white below; pectoral fin brownish, with a black spot in corner of fin base. Similar to Yellowfin Bream found further east, but has darker anal and pelvic fins, and more scales along the lateral line. To 66 cm.

Biology

An important commercial and recreational finfish in Victoria.

Habitat

In bays, inlets, estuaries, and in the lower reaches of rivers, in depths of 0-30 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Seabreams

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

66 cm

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, Black Bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 10 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6345

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