Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Centrarchiformes (Basses) >
Terapontidae (Grunters or tigerperches)
Etymology: Syncomistes: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, komistes, -ou = leader, driver (Ref. 45335); bonapartensis: The specific epithet bonapartensis is used in reference to the distribution of the species that is confined to drainages that once flowed into the paleolake, Lake Bonaparte.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; ? - 36°C (Ref. 119336)
Oceania: Drysdale River in Western Australia to the Finnis River in Northern Territory, Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 28.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 119336); common length : 17.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 119336)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 25. Syncomistes bonapartensis is distinguished from all congeners within the Syncomistes complex by a combination of the following characters: both adults and juveniles with lower jaw rounded anteriorly making a ‘U-shape’ when viewed from below; mouth slightly oblique; teeth broad and large relative to Syncomistes, flat, asymmetric, margins convex posteriorly and straight to slightly concave anteriorly, widest point closest to midpoint of tooth, apical region tapered to slight point; usually with 7-8 slightly wavy brown stripes running horizontally along body sides; usually with < 11 gill rakers on the upper arch and < 30 in total; and usually with ? 6.0 teeth per mm of jaw (Ref. 119336).
Prefers deeper portions of slow-flowing creeks and rivers, as well as billabongs. Inhabits clear and turbid waters, over muddy to rocky substrates, often where algae is abundant. Adults occur in shoals around snags. Juveniles are mostly found in riffle habitat. Sympatric with Syncomistes holsworthi, S. kimberleyensis, S. rastellus and S. trigonicus. Feeds mainly on filamentous algae along with some detritus and invertebrates. Attains sexual maturity at 120-140 mm and spawns in wet season. Eggs are large about 3 mm and non-adhesive (Ref. 119336).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Shelley, J.J, A. Delaval and M.C. Le Feuvre, 2017. A revision of the grunter genus Syncomistes (Teleostei, Terapontidae, Syncomistes) with descriptions of seven new species from the Kimberley region, northwestern Australia. Zootaxa 4367(1):1-103. (Ref. 119336)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01288 (0.00590 - 0.02812), b=3.04 (2.86 - 3.22), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (24 of 100).