Girella elevata
Rock blackfish
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Similar in shape to the luderick, but has an overall bluish black colour with no obvious markings. It is not seen often, probably partly because it remains hidden for most of the day in caves in shallow habitats with wave surge. The related western rock blackfish Girella tephraeops, a species found from Carnarvon to Esperance, has much fewer scales along the lateral line (80-86 cf. 50-58), and a mottled appearance.
Information
Max Size: 62 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 12.6-24.9°C
Depth: 0-25 m
Habitat Generalization Index: 1.43
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: Frequent (14.1% 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: Few (4 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