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Banded Driftfish
Psenes arafurensis Günther, 1889
Above and below: A Banded Driftfish swimming below a jellyfish. This photograph was taken at a depth of 16 m, North West Solitary Island, New South Wales, February, 2004. View larger image. Photo: Ian Shaw.
The Banded Driftfish has a compressed body, a small mouth and a deeply notched dorsal fin.
Juveniles are silvery with indistinct dark bands. Adults are silver grey with thin stripes.
This species grows to 23 cm in length.
Juveniles are often seen in coastal waters swimming with jellyfishes. Adults have been observed under floating weeds, but are probably benthopelagic.
It occurs worldwide in tropical marine waters.
In Australia it is known from off north-western Western Australia and off northern Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Banded Driftfish is also known as the Arafura Eyebrowfish and Dusky Driftfish.
Related links
- Scissortail fact sheet
- View the driftfishes list
Further reading
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Last, P.R. 2001. Nomeidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammals. FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-v, 3381-4218.
