Meuschenia galii

Blue-lined leatherjacket
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii, Dunsborough, WA, Photo: Graham Edgar
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii, Adelaide, SA, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii, juvenile, Adelaide, SA, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii, Rottnest Island, WA, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii, Adelaide, SA, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
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Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii
Meuschenia galii

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

Orange tail has a distinctive pattern of blue stripes extending partway across. Similar to the sixspine leatherjacket, but lacks spines in front of the tail and has stronger stripes and spots on the body.


Information

Max Size: 34 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 12.5-22.8°C

Depth: 2-30m

Habitat Generalization Index: 6.71

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Common (29.5% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney