Gnathanacanthus goetzeei
Red velvetfish | Gnathanacanthus goetzii
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Bright orange with large floppy fins, however, the fish is difficult to detect because the colour seems quite dull in the near absence of red light and the animal sways like nearby kelp plants with the surge. Reef monitoring studies indicate that the population may have declined greatly over the past 20 years. Being spiked by the red velvetfish is said to cause excruciating pain, which can last for many hours.
Information
Max Size: 30 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 10.4-21.1°C
Depth: N/A
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 (7.3% 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