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Southern Spineback
Notacanthus sexspinis Richardson, 1846
A 32 cm long Southern Spineback trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth of about 1350 m, south-east of Lord Howe Island, 24 May 2003 (CSIRO H6037-03). Photo: R. McPhee © NORFANZ. View larger image.
The Southern Spineback has an eel-like body. It has a single dorsal fin with six to eight short spines and a long-based anal fin that reaches the tip of the tail.
This species grows to 60 cm in length.
It is a benthic species that occurs at depths between 360 m and 1350 m, in temperate marine waters of the southern hemisphere.
In Australia it is known from off the central New South Wales coast and around the south of the country to south-western Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species is sometimes called the Spiny Eel.
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.
- McDowell, S.B. 1973. Notacanthididae in Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Part 6: Orders Notacanthiformes, Beryciformes, Stephanoberyciformes and Gadiformes. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale University. Pp. 698.
- Smith, D. G. 1999. Notacanthidae. 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 3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-vi, 1398-2068.
