Meuschenia trachylepis
Yellow-finned leatherjacket
Meuschenia trachylepis, Montague Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Meuschenia trachylepis, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Meuschenia trachylepis, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Tom Davis
Meuschenia trachylepis, Montague Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Meuschenia trachylepis, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Meuschenia trachylepis, juvenile, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Photo: Ian Shaw
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Scribbles on the side of the body, fine filaments projecting from the skin, and a different pattern on the tail. The yellowfin leatherjacket occurs in the same sheltered habitat as the sixspine leatherjacket and resembles that species.
Information
Max Size: 40 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 15.3-24.6°C
Depth: 1 - 40 m
Habitat Generalization Index: 7.57
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 (35.9% 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 (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