Meuschenia scaber

Monacanthidae
Velvet Leatherjacket
  • Meuschenia scaber, Poor Knights Is, New Zealand, Photo: Andrew Green
    Meuschenia scaber, Poor Knights Is, New Zealand, Photo: Andrew Green
  • Meuschenia scaber, Bicheno, TAS, Photo: Graham Edgar
    Meuschenia scaber, Bicheno, TAS, Photo: Graham Edgar
  • Meuschenia scaber, New Zealand, Photo: Graham Edgar
    Meuschenia scaber, New Zealand, Photo: Graham Edgar
  • Meuschenia scaber, Bicheno, TAS, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Meuschenia scaber, Bicheno, TAS, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
  • Meuschenia scaber, Narooma, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
    Meuschenia scaber, Narooma, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
  • Meuschenia scaber, Eden, NSW, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Meuschenia scaber, Eden, NSW, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Pointed head with two characteristic stripes radiating down below the eye and dark blotches on the sides. It is the most aggressive of the local leatherjackets, sometimes biting divers.
Information
  • Max Size: 31 cm
  • Sea Temperature Range: 12.0-21.6°C
  • Depth: 20-200 m
  • Habitat: Rocky Reef
  • Habitat Generalisation Index: 11.9
    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
Rarity
  • IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
  • Occurrence: Frequent (17% 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 (3 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
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