The large kelpfish (''Chironemus marmoratus''), the Eastern kelpfish, hiwihiwi, surgefish or kelpfish, is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

, a kelpfish belonging to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Chironemidae. It is found in southern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, and off the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, at depths down to 30 m.

Taxonomy

The large kelpfish was first formally described in 1860 by the German born British ichthyologist Albert Günther with the type locality given as the Swan River and

Erub Darnley Island, or ''Erub'' in the First language, native Papuan language of Meriam Mir, is an island formed by volcanic action and situated in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the Torres Strait Isl ...

on the western coast of Australia, an error, this is outside of the known range of this species. The specific name ''marmoratus'' means “marbled” a reference to the pattern of colouration on this fish’s body.

Description

The large kelpfish has a pointed snout and a small mouth. There are 14-15 spines and 16-20 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 6-8 soft rays. The maximum standard length recorded is . It has large pectoral fins with the upper rays being branched and the lower ones being unbranched and robust. The colour of the body can be grey, brown, green or pinkish and the head and body are covered in small white spots, with the body having large dark blotches.

Distribution and habitat

The large kelpfish is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It occurs in Australia from

Fraser Island K'gari ( , ), also known by its former name Fraser Island, is a World Heritage-listed sand island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The island lies approximately north of the state capi ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

to the

Gippsland Lakes The Gippsland Lakes are a network of coastal lakes, marshes and lagoons in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering an overall area of about between the rural towns of Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale and Sale. The largest of the lakes are ...

in Victoria, the islands in the

Bass Strait Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The ...

and north-eastern

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 ...

, as well as

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...

in the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

. In New Zealand it is found around the North Island, between the North Cape and

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is at the northern end of the Gisborne District of the North Island. East Cape was originally named "Cape East" by British explorer James Cook during his 1769–1779 voy ...

. This species is found in kelp and areas with macroalgae on reefs in shallow water in area that are frequently subjected to powerful surges or waves, often being found in the intertidal zone.

Biology

The large kelpfish feeds on invertebrates, including small molluscs, crabs and sea urchins. The fertilised eggs are reportedly attached to fronds of seaweed within cavities in reefs. These fishes remain close to the seabed and continually move around the surge zone and may be found in large aggregations.

References

* * * Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, ''Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand'', (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) {{Taxonbar, from=Q2150683 Chironemidae Fish described in 1860 Taxa named by Albert Günther