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Red Velvetfish
Gnathanacanthus goetzeei Bleeker, 1855
All images: A Red Velvetfish at a depth of 13 m, Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, November 1999. View larger image. Photo: David Muirhead.
The Red Velvetfish has a compressed body that is covered with low papillae that give the skin a velvety texture. It has a deeply divided dorsal fin. The spines of the first dorsal are poisonous.
This species can be brown, red, or yellowish. Juveniles are translucent with red lines and spots.
It grows to 30 cm in length.
The Red Velvetfish is a nocturnal species that is rarely seen during the day, but may be relatively common in some areas.
It is endemic to Australia, occurring from southern Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia to south-western Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Red Velvetfish is the only species in the family Gnathanacanthidae.
Further reading
- Gomon, M.F. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
