The common shore eel (''Alabes dorsalis'') is a species of

clingfish Clingfishes are ray-finned fishes of the family Gobiesocidae, the only family in the suborder Gobiesocoidei of the order Blenniiformes. These fairly small to very small fishes are widespread in tropical and temperate regions, mostly near the coa ...

from Australia. It is generally found in the south-eastern waters of Australia. It usually grows to about 12 cms (4.7 in). Often found by beachgoers after looking in rock-pools and turning over shells. AlabesDorsalAlanFletcher

Description

The common shore eel is a large brownish-orange to bright green eel-like fish, it sometimes has a line of large blackish spots along its flanks. It has a short head with small eyes, a small mouth and a small gill slit on the underside of its head which is about the same length as the diameter of its eye. There is a single sensory pore above and behind the eyes. The

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage The fus ...

, the

anal Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving ...

and the

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

are joined into a single fin. The

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

s are much reduced and are situated just behind the gill slits and are roughly the same length as the gill slits. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins have no rays within them . There is a vestigial disc-like sucker between the pelvic fins. The maximum length of a common shore eel is in

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...

Distribution

The common shore eel is a temperate species which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to southern Australia. Its range may extend as far north as Queensland but it certainly found from

Broken Bay Broken Bay, a semi-mature tide-dominated ria, drowned valley estuary, is a large inlet of the Tasman Sea located about north of Sydney on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

south and west as far as just south-west of

Ceduna, South Australia Ceduna ( ) is a town in South Australia located on the shores of Murat Bay on the coast, west of the Eyre Peninsula. It lies west of the junction of the Flinders Highway, South Australia, Flinders and Eyre Highways around 786 km northwest o ...

. It also occurs around the coast of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. This species is frequently encountered by people searching in rock pools and turning over rocks on beaches, especially in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

and

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

Habitat and biology

The common shore eel occurs under rocks and shells from the intertidal zone down to depths of , though some sources say it can live up to a depth of ,Museums Victoria Collections. (2019). Alabes dorsalis (Richardson, 1845), Common Shore Eel. nlineAvailable at: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/14294 ccessed 2 Jun. 2019 it can also be found among weeds.

References

{{taxonbar, From=Q293197 Common shore eel Fish described in 1845