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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Temperate

Southern crested weedfish

Cristiceps australis Valenciennes, 1836
Max Length
18 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.4
Depth
-
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
24.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
-

📖 Overview

Southern crested weedfish (Cristiceps australis), first described by Valenciennes, 1836 is a medium-sized fish in the family Clinidae (order Blenniiformes). Adults typically reach 18.00 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. It occurs in Temperate waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.

Scientific Name
Cristiceps australis
Authority
Valenciennes, 1836
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
18 cm
Trophic Level
3.4
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
24.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Teleostei
Order
Blenniiformes
Blenniiformes
Family
Clinidae
Clinidae
Genus
Cristiceps
Cristiceps
Species
Southern crested weedfish
Cristiceps australis

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 29 - 32; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 8; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 24 - 26. Pelvic fin rays thick, finger-like, almost reaching anus . Extremely variable in color and pattern; usually matches various types of weed colors; some diffused banding .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Southern crested weedfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range ? - 30 m . Temperate West Pacific: southern Australia.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish
Trophic Level
3.4±0.4

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00501 × L3.06 (TL)
Max TL
18cm
Dorsal Spines
31
Dorsal Rays
7
Anal Spines
2
Anal Rays
25

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2010

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
24.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.4
Predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Valenciennes, 1836

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English crested weedfish · Southern Crested Weedfish · Weed Fish

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Cristiceps axillaris Richardson 1846 Synonym
Cristiceps howittii Castelnau 1873 Synonym
Cristiceps macleayi Castelnau 1879 Synonym
Cristiceps pallidus Macleay 1881 Synonym
Cristiceps splendens Castelnau 1872 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 9 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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