Find a Fish
Beardie
Lotella rhacina (Forster, 1801)
Above and below: A Beardie at a depth of 10m, Bowen Island, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, May 2003. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
Above and below: A Beardie at a depth of 18m, Halifax Sponge Gardens Marine Reserve, Port Stephens, New South Wales, February 2004. Photo © D. & L. Atkinson. View larger image.
A Beardie at a depth of 8 m, Bass Point, New South Wales, October 2004. Photo © S. Schulz. View larger image.
The Beardie is yellow-grey to red-brown with white fin margins.
It has a short-based first dorsal fin, closely followed by a long-based second dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are positioned anterior to the pectoral fins. The body is covered with tiny cycloid scales. There is a barbel (glossary) on the chin.
This species grows to 50cm in length.
It is usually seen in caves in bays and coastal reefs.
The Beardie occurs in Australia and New Zealand.
In Australia it is known from northern New South Wales coast, around the temperate south of the country and north to the central coast of Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Edgar, G.J. 1997. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Reed Books. Pp. 544.
- 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.
- 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.
