PORT PHILLIP BAY


Giant Boarfish 

Paristiopterus labiosus (Günther, 1872)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: VII, 16-18
Anal fin spines/rays: II, 8-10
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 16-18
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 85-96

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.
Body compressed, often deep, most species with the head almost completely encased in exposed striated bones and very long snout in some. Dorsal fin long-based, continuous, often tall, with a spinous and soft-rayed portion, pectoral fins prominent, upper rays much longer than lower, pelvic fins large with a strong spine. The fin spines are venomous in some or all species.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Pentacerotidae
Genus:
Paristiopterus
Species:
labiosus

General Description

Body moderately deep, compressed, head bones striated, nape with low bony knob; snout much longer than eye diameter, becoming longer and deeper with age. Dorsal fin with 7-8 spines, juveniles with long, slender spines, adults with shorter and heavier spines, soft fin rays only slightly taller anteriorly, not forming a pointed lobe. Anal fin with 2 spines, pectoral-fin base in front of pelvic-fin bas, tail slightly concave. Greenish brown, paler below, with 3 broad indistinct oblique stripes across body. Adult males sometimes peppered with yellow spots. To 90 cm.

Biology

Giant boarfish use their prominent snout and jaws to poke in the sand for shellfish. They are trawled in small numbers and good eating.

Habitat

Temperate waters, near the bottom at 30-165 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

New Zealand and south-eastern Australia, including central and eastern Victoria.

Species Group

Fishes › Boarfish and allies

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

90 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, Giant Boarfish, Paristiopterus labiosus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 21 Sep 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6442

Text: creative commons cc by licence