Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis

Tasmanian clingfish
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis, Yorke Peninsula, SA, Photo: James Brook
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis, Port Phillip Bay, VIC, Photo: Paul Tinkler
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis, Port Phillip Bay, VIC, Photo: Paul Tinkler
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Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis
Aspasmogaster tasmaniensis

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

Light pink body with about 20 dark pink or brown bands across the upper surface and a large skin fold across the top of the snout. A related species with a similar appearance, but lacking the dark bands, the smooth-snout clingfish Aspasmogaster liorhyncha, is very abundant under sea urchins in circular depressions on sandstone reefs in New South Wales.


Information

Max Size: 8 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 11.4-21.4°C

Depth: 0-10m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

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: Infrequent (2.4% 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