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Beardie (Lotella phycis) — Moridae

Beardie

Lotella phycis
Family: Moridae

The Beardie (Lotella phycis) is a saltwater fish of the family Moridae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Oceania: Australia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Japan, Korea (South), New Zealand and others

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Description

The beardie is a morid cod (Moridae) from coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand. The species grows to about 30 cm and has an elongate, red-brown body with a rounded tail and a chin barbel. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it shelters by day in crevices and caves of rocky reefs and hunts small crustaceans, worms and small fish at night. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Beardie?

The Beardie has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly red-orange.

Where does the Beardie live?

The Beardie lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Oceania: Australia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Japan, Korea (South), New Zealand and others

How big does the Beardie get?

The Beardie grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Beardie dangerous to humans?

No, the Beardie is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

More photos

Beardie (Lotella phycis) — Moridae — 2
Roshmi Sarma (CC BY 4.0) via GBIF — AM
Beardie (Lotella phycis) — Moridae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — (Temminck and Schlegel) (Public domain) [illustratie]
Beardie (Lotella phycis) — Moridae — 4
Courtney Birksmith (CC BY 4.0) via GBIF — AM
Beardie (Lotella phycis) — Moridae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Malcolm Francis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))

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All data

Identification

English name
Beardie sourced
Scientific name
Lotella phycis
Family
Moridae
Other names
Beardie; Slender beardie; Slender beardy verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Tail shape
Rounded
Barbels
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Natural range
Oceania: Australia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Japan, Korea (South), New Zealand and others sourced
Origin
Native

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes
Sexual dimorphism
No
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known.

For anglers

Fishing method
Bottom fishing with natural bait (worm, shrimp or fish) on or just above the seabed.
Regulations source

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Lotella

More from the family Moridae

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