Paraplesiops bleekeri
Encyclopedia
Paraplesiops bleekeri, common names Blue-tipped long-fin, Eastern blue devil, and Bleeker's blue devil fish, is a species of fish in the family Plesiopidae. This colourful, secretive fish is endemic to Australia, where it is a protected species.
This species is a close relative of the Southern Blue Devilfish (Paraplesiops meleagris), which lives in the colder southern Australian waters.
active at night.
They are protected because of their low abundance, and their desirability in the marine aquarium industry.
Efforts to protect them have included the conservation and protection of benthic estuarine habitats, as well as rocky offshore reef areas where they breed. Some protected habitats are:
Description
This species grows to 40 cm, and is recognizable by blue and white bands on the body, blue spots on the head, and blue dorsal and anal fins. It also has a yellow base, pectoral, and caudal fins. The pelvic, posterior dorsal, and anal fins are all elongated.This species is a close relative of the Southern Blue Devilfish (Paraplesiops meleagris), which lives in the colder southern Australian waters.
Distribution
Paraplesiops bleekeri is endemic to Australia. It is found in coastal waters between southern Queensland and Montague Island. However, it is most commonly found in New South Wales between Sydney and Ulladulla.Behaviour
This species is shy and secretive. Males have appeared to defend territories in caves or overhangs, where it remains to attract females and drive males away. They are mostactive at night.
Habitat
Paraplesiops bleekeri are benthic, inshore reef inhabitants. They live inside caves, under ledges and overhangs in inshore reefs and estuaries. They also inhabit offshore waters ranging from 3 to 30 metres in depth.Conservation Status
This species is protected under the laws of New South Wales Fisheries, in particular, the Fisheries Management Act 1994. It is illegal to collect or possess them without a permit.They are protected because of their low abundance, and their desirability in the marine aquarium industry.
Efforts to protect them have included the conservation and protection of benthic estuarine habitats, as well as rocky offshore reef areas where they breed. Some protected habitats are:
- Solitary Islands Marine Park
- Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park
- Jervis Bay Marine ParkJervis Bay Marine ParkThe Government of New South Wales established Jervis Bay Marine Park in 1998 and the current zoning plan has been in place since 1 October 2002. The Park is approximately 21,000 hectares in area and spans over 100 km of coastline from Kinghorn Point in the north to Sussex Inlet...
- Long Reef Aquatic Reserve
- Bushrangers Bay Aquatic Reserve
Further reading
- Eschmeyer, William N., ed. 1998. Catalog of Fishes. Special Publication of the Center for Biodiversity Research and Information, núm. 1, vol. 1-3. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Estados Unidos. 2905. ISBN 0-940228-47-5. - Fenner, Robert M.: The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Neptune City, Nueva Jersey, Estados Unidos : T.F.H. Publications, 2001.
- Helfman, G., B. Collette y D. Facey: The diversity of fishes. Blackwell Science, Malden, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos , 1997.
- Hoese, D.F. 1986: . A M.M. Smith y P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, BerlínBerlínBerlín is a municipality in the Usulután department of El Salvador.-Overview:The municipality of Berlín is made up of an urban center and 17 cantons or villages...
, Alemania. - Hoese, D. F. and R. H. Kuiter 1984. "A revision of the Australian plesiopid fish genus Paraplesiops, with notes on other Australian genera"; Records of the Australian Museum v. 36: 7-18.
- Maugé, L.A. 1986. A J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse y D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB Bruselas; MRAC, TervurenTervurenTervuren is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636...
, FlandesFlandesFlandes is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 22,064 as of the 1993 census....
; y ORSTOM, ParísParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Francia. Vol. 2. - Moyle, P. y J. Cech.: Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology, 4a. edición, Upper Saddle River, Nueva Jersey, Estados Unidos: Prentice-Hall. Año 2000.
- Nelson, J.: Fishes of the World, 3a. edición. Nueva York, Estados Unidos: John Wiley and Sons. Año 1994.
- Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley 1989: "Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae", Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p.
- Wheeler, A.: The World Encyclopedia of Fishes, 2a. edición, LondresLondresLondres may refer to:* Londres, the French, Portuguese, Spanish and Tagalog language name for London, capital of the United Kingdom* Londres, Catamarca, Argentina, formally 'San Juan de la Ribera de Londres' or 'Londres de la Nueva Inglaterra'...
: Macdonald. Año 1985.