Meuschenia australis
Brown-striped leatherjacket
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Males have a yellow-green body, blue line below the dorsal fin, blue tail with a black margin, and bluish green dorsal and anal fins. Females have a pattern of brown stripes along the body similar to those on sixspine leatherjackets, but with dark spots on the belly and head. The brownstriped leatherjacket is uncommon on the Australian mainland but is commonly seen on kelp-covered Tasmanian reefs.
Information
Max Size: 30 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 10.2-19.8°C
Depth: 0-20 m
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: Common (28.9% 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: Few (2 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