Kelpfish

About Kelpfish

See: Giant Kelpfish

The large kelpfish (Chironemus marmoratus), the Eastern kelpfish, hiwihiwi, surgefish or kelpfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a kelpfish belonging to the family Chironemidae. It is found in southern Australia, and off the North Island of New Zealand, at depths down to 30 m.

The large kelpfish (Chironemus marmoratus), the Eastern kelpfish, hiwihiwi, surgefish or kelpfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a kelpfish belonging to the family Chironemidae. It is found in southern Australia, and off the North Island of New Zealand, at depths down to 30 m. Taxonomy The large kelpfish was first formally described in 1860 by the German born British ichthyologist Albert Günther with the type locality given as the Swan River and Erub on the western coast of Australia, an error, this is outside of the known range of this species. The specific name marmoratus means “marbled” a reference to the pattern of colouration on this fish’s body. C. marmoratus is a part of the infra class Teleostei, which are the modern ray-finned fishes. This is an incredibly diverse subclass in the larger class Actinopterygii. These fish are termed “ray-finned fish” due to their flexible rays. Rays are transparent, flexible fins on the sides, top, and bottom of a fish. These are adaptations used for hydrodynamics and maneuverability in the water. Description The large kelpfish has a pointed snout and a small mouth. There are 14-15 spines and 16-20 soft rays in the dorsal…