Leptatherina presbyteroides
Hardyhead
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Evenly spaced line of semicircular scales along the centre of the upper surface behind the head. The anus is also situated just in front of the tip of the anal fin, whereas in Atherinasoma microstoma it is situated just behind. Schools of tens of thousands close to the water’s edge, where they feed on both bottom-living and planktonic prey. The schools are sometimes mixed with another abundant species, the small-mouthed hardyhead A.microstoma, although that species tends to live in the less saline reaches of estuaries.
Information
Max Size: 11 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 9.6-23.3°C
Depth: 0-5m
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 (2.1% 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: Large aggregations (341 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