PORT PHILLIP BAY


Silver Sweep 

Scorpis lineolata Kner, 1865

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: X, 26-28
Anal fin spines/rays: III, 27-28
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 17-18
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: about 90

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.
A diverse group of moderately deep-bodied oval fishes with short heads, blunt snouts, a continuous long-based dorsal fin, a concave to forked tail, pelvic fins arising behind the pectoral-fin base and small rough scales. Most are omnivores and often occur in large schools.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Kyphosidae
Subfamily:
Scorpidinae
Genus:
Scorpis
Species:
lineolata

General Description

Body deep, compressed; head short, mouth small; dorsal and anal fins long-based, the soft-rayed portions not greatly elevated; tail fin forked; body and fin bases completely covered in tiny rough scales. Silvery bluish-grey to dark grey above, silvery below; gill cover (operculum) with black edge, and a black spot at pectoral-fin base; outer edge of tail fin dark. To 37 cm.

Biology

Silver Sweep form large schools, especially in southern New South Wales. They are omnivores, feeding on zooplankton in the water column and browsing on algae from rocky reefs.

Habitat

Exposed coastal and offshore rocky reefs, occasionally entering estuaries, juveniles are common in coastal rock pools, to depth of 30 m.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

New Zealand and south-eastern Australia. In Victoria, mainly central and eastern waters, occasionally western areas to Victor Harbour SA.

Species Group

Fishes › Sweeps and allies

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor Midwater

Max Size

37 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, Silver Sweep, Scorpis lineolata, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 22 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/8012

Text: creative commons cc by licence