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Beaked salmon (Gonorynchus greyi) — Gonorynchidae

Beaked salmon

Gonorynchus greyi
Family: Gonorynchidae

The Beaked salmon (Gonorynchus greyi) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gonorynchidae that grows up to 50 cm.

Length
50 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
1.0–160.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The beaked sandfish is an elongate coastal fish of the family Gonorynchidae from the temperate waters around southern Australia and New Zealand. The species grows to about 50 cm and has a slender, torpedo-shaped body with a pointed, beak-like snout and an inferior mouth with a small barbel. Adults are bottom dwellers of shallow estuaries and the outer continental shelf; juveniles live pelagically in the open ocean. When disturbed the fish burrows head-first into the sand at great speed. As a bottom searcher it feeds on small invertebrates and worms. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Beaked salmon?

The Beaked salmon has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Beaked salmon live?

The Beaked salmon lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Beaked salmon get?

The Beaked salmon grows to a maximum of about 50 cm.

Is the Beaked salmon dangerous to humans?

No, the Beaked salmon is harmless to humans.

Is the Beaked salmon edible?

The Beaked salmon is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Snavel-zandvis sourced
English name
Beaked salmon verified
Scientific name
Gonorynchus greyi
Family
Gonorynchidae
Other names
Ratfish; Sand eel; Sandfish; Shark whiting verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
50.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
160.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Gonorynchus

More from the family Gonorynchidae

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