Animal Species:Common Redmouth Whalefish, Rondeletia loricata Abe & Hotta, 1963

The Common Redmouth Whalefish has a flabby scaleless body. The inside of the mouth and gill cavities are coloured red-orange.

Common Redmouth Whalefish, Rondeletia loricata

Common Redmouth Whalefish, Rondeletia loricata
Mark McGrouther © NORFANZ Founding Parties

Alternative Name/s

Redmouth Whalefish

Identification

The Common Redmouth Whalefish has a flabby scaleless body with a large head with small eyes. The lateral line is made up of a series of vertical rows of papillae. In life it is orange-brown. The inside of the mouth and gill cavities are red-orange.

Size range

The species grows to about 11 cm in length.

Distribution

In Australia it is known from scattered localities around the country, including off New South Wales, the Great Australian Bight, central Western Australia and possibly northern Queensland.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Redmouth Whalefish specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Habitat

This species occurs at bathypelagic and mesopelagic depths in tropical and temperate waters worldwide.

Classification

Species:
loricata
Genus:
Rondeletia
Family:
Rondeletiidae
Order:
Stephanoberyciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Kotlyar, A.N. 1996. The osteology, intraspecific structure, and distribution of Rondeletia loricata (Rondeletiidae). Journal of Ichthyology. 36(3): 207-221.
  2. Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen G.R. & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol.7. Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Common Redmouth Whalefish, Rondeletia loricata, Rondeletiidae,