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Pacific Fanfish
Pteraclis aesticola (Jordan & Snyder, 1901)
A 45 cm long Pacific Fanfish washed up near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, August 2007. The fish was still alive when first discovered. Photo © J. Snodgrass. View larger image.
All images below: A Pacific Fanfish caught by W. Bolliger, on hook and line at a depth of about 40 m, off Long Reef, Sydney, New South Wales, July 2004. View larger image. Photo: Mark McGrouther.
Scales on the side of the fish. Note the single large spine on each scale. View larger image. Photo: Mark McGrouther.
The Pacific Fanfish has a strongly compressed body that is covered with spiny scales. It has a narrow caudal peduncle and strongly forked caudal fin. The eyes are positioned well away from the arched head margin. The fan-like dorsal and anal fins of adults can be depressed into slots created by enlarged scales.
This species is silvery, blue-greenish to black with bright blue dorsal and anal fins. View a small mobile phone image of the fish shortly after capture showing its fresh colouration.
It grows to 61 cm in length.
The Pacific Fanfish occurs in marine waters throughout much of the Pacific region.
In Australia it is known from marine waters of northern to central New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The genus name comes from the Greek word "ptera" meaning wing and "clis" meaning shut. The name refers to the impressive dorsal and anal fins of this species and presumably how they retract into scaly sheaths along the upper and lower margins of the fish.
The Pacific Fanfish looks similar to the Fanfish Pteraclis velifera. The two species can be separated by the number of vertebrae (45-48 vs 51-54 respectively), dorsal fin rays (49-52 vs 54-57) and anal fin rays (40-44 vs 47-50).
Related links
- Flathead Pomfret fact sheet
- View the family Bramidae list
- View the Pomfret list
Further reading
- Last, P & M. Baron. 1994. Pomfret Resources of Australia. Australian Fisheries. August 1994. Supplement. Pp. 6.
- Last, P.R. & M. Moteki. Bramidae. 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 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-iv, 2791-3379.
- Stewart, A. & C. Roberts. 1996. Wingfish, fanfish: blue-fish, drab-fish. Museum Marine File. Seafood New Zealand. September 1996: 90-92.
