PORT PHILLIP BAY


Cryptic Sea Gudgeon 

Thalasseleotris adela Hoese & Larson, 1987

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: V-VII; I, 9-10
Anal fin spines/rays: I, 8-9
Caudal fin rays: (segmented) 15-17
Pectoral fin rays: 17-21
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: -

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 to medium-sized fishes found worldwide in tropical and temperate regions. Most species occur in freshwater or estuarine environments, often amongst mangroves. A few inhabit rocky or coral reefs.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Thalasseleotrididae
Genus:
Thalasseleotris
Species:
adela

General Description

Body slender, back arched, tapering posteriorly; head large, rounded, slightly broader than deep; eyes close together; mouth small, oblique, reaching to below front of eye; first gill slit closed by membrane to inner gill cover; head without scales. Overall tannish-brown, often with large white spots or pale areas on back and a black bar at base of tail. To 4 cm.

Habitat

On rocky reefs in silty and turbid areas of harbours and bays, from intertidal depths to 24 m.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Gudgeons

Depth

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

Max Size

4 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, Cryptic Sea Gudgeon, Thalasseleotris adela, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 15 Sep 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6471

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