| Family: |
Rhombosoleidae (South Pacific flounders) |
| Max. size: |
14.5 cm SL (male/unsexed); 14.5 cm SL (female) |
| Environment: |
demersal; marine; depth range 2 - 40 m |
| Distribution: |
Southwest Pacific: New Zealand. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 86-97; Anal soft rays: 59-67; Vertebrae: 37-38. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: deep body, with greatest depth anterior to midpoint and with moderately rapid posterior taper; anterior profile of snout is smoothly rounded; second ocular-side pectoral-fin ray is filamentous and shorter than greatest body depth; conspicuous, finger-like filaments 1-5 on inner anteroventral margin of fleshy skinfold on ocular-side lower jaw; no scales on blind sides of dorsal- and anal-fin rays; eyes relatively large with well-developed pupillary operculum; interorbital space relatively narrow (usually < diameter of lower eye) with 2-4 scales; often with 4-6 scales in diagonal row between anteroventral margin of lower (non-migrated) eye and dorsal margin of rostral flap above mouth; gillrakers on first arch long, pointed, robust, with first and sometimes second raker on upper limb overlapping dorsalmost raker(s) on lower limb of first arch; meristic values relatively low (37-38 total vertebrae, 86-97 dorsal- and 59-67 anal-fin rays, 64-82 lateral-line pores, usually 23-24 supracranial pterygiophores, 14-20 total gillrakers on first gill arch, 4-6 on upper limb of first arch); head relatively large and wide; caudal peduncle wide. Colouration: light-brown to light gray ocular-side background with numerous, minute, pinkish spots over entire surface, and with many scales on ocular side of head and body with black pigment on bases of ctenii; the dorsal and anal fins in both sexes with either a pattern of a single darkly pigmented ray alternating with 4-8 lighter-pigmented rays, or with rays uniformly pigmented; black pigmentation on inner lining of ocular-side opercle and entire roof of mouth (Ref. 123823). |
| Biology: |
This is a shallow-water species that occurs in 1.5-40 m, with majority of specimens (70 of 81) examined were caught between 11 m and 20 m (8 of 81 collected in 1.5-5.0 m, 2 of 81 taken at 21 m; and only 1 was taken at 40 m. Little else is known about the ecology of this species (Ref. 123823). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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