PORT PHILLIP BAY


Moonlighter 

Tilodon sexfasciatus (Richardson, 1842)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: X, 20-21
Anal fin spines/rays: III, 17-19
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 17
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: about 80

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:
Microcanthinae
Genus:
Tilodon
Species:
sexfasciatus

General Description

Body deep, compressed, oval; head small, snout concave; dorsal and anal fins long-based, with scaly basal sheaths; tail large, slightly concave. Silvery white with five or six broad vertical black bands. Juveniles resemble tropical butterfly fishes, and like them have ocelli on the rear of the dorsal and anal fins. To 40 cm.

Biology

Juveniles prefer shallow protected reef, seagrass beds, and tide pools, while adults often occur in pairs near rocky ledges.

Habitat

Coastal rocky reefs, in 1-20 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

Southern Australia, including western and central Victoria.

Species Group

Fishes › Sweeps and allies

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

40 cm

Diet

Carnivore

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, Moonlighter, Tilodon sexfasciatus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 27 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/8017

Text: creative commons cc by licence