PORT PHILLIP BAY


Clark's Snakeblenny 

Sticharium clarkae George & Springer, 1980

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: XXXVIII-LXI, 1
Anal fin spines/rays: II, 35-37
Caudal fin rays: 13
Pectoral fin rays: 8-11
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 2
Lateral line: (pores) 36-42

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 small well-camouflaged cryptic fishes with finger-like pelvic fins on the underside of the head and a long-based spinous dorsal fin joined to a short soft-rayed portion. The spinous part begins with several stiff spines, and the soft-rayed part contains up to 6 rays. Head often with orbital and nasal tentacles. They have internal fertilization and give birth to live young.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Clinidae
Genus:
Sticharium
Species:
clarkae

General Description

Body long, slender; dorsal fin single, arising over or behind gill cover, often joined to tail fin; anal fin joined to tail fin, or connected to base of tail fin; orbital tentacle absent; last anal-fin ray reaching to, or nearly to tail base; lower lip fleshy with a flap extending forward beyond upper lip. Dark brown to black with a creamy white stripe along the upper body and a row of white spots along the midside, head mottled. To 8 cm.

Biology

These well-camouflaged fishes are rarely seen.

Habitat

Usually buried in sand under or near rocks, in depths of 0-10 m.

Reefs

Soft substrates

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Weedfishes and snakeblennies

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

8 cm

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, Clark's Snakeblenny, Sticharium clarkae, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 09 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6467

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