ANIMAL SPECIES:Beardfish, Polymixia berndti Gilbert, 1905
The Beardfish lives in deep marine waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It's commonly caught in ocean trawlers.
Identification
The species has large silver scales, a long-based dorsal fin and a pair of long chin barbels.
Size range
The family comprises moderate sized fishes that grow to about 50 cm in length.Distribution
It is recorded from tropical and subtropical marine waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. In Australia, the Beardfish has an interrupted distribution. It is found on the north-western coast of Western Australia and also occurs from northern Queensland to the southern coast of New South Wales.
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Beardfish specimens in the Australian Museum collection.
Habitat
The species usually lives in deep marine waters (18 m to 520 m) and is mostly seen in the catches of trawlers.
Classification
- Species:
- berndti
- Genus:
- Polymixia
- Family:
- Polymixiidae
- Order:
- Polymixiiformes
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Gloerfelt-Tarp, T & P.J. Kailola. 1984. Trawled Fishes of southern Indonesia and north-western Australia. Jakarta: Directorate General of Fisheries (Indonesia), German Agency for Technical Cooperation, Australian Development Assistance Bureau. Pp. 406.
- Kotlyar, A.N. 1993. A New Species of the Genus Polymixia (Polymixiidae, Beryciformes) from the Kyushu-Palau Submarine Ridge and Notes on the Other Members of the Genus. Journal of Ichthyology, 33(3): 30-49.
- Paxton, J.R Polymixiidae. Beardfishes in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (ed) 1999 The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 3. FAO species identification guide for Fishery purposes. FAO.
- Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.
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Berndt's Beardfish, Polymixia berndti View full size
New South Wales Fisheries, Eden
© New South Wales Fisheries, Eden
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