General Description
Body long, somewhat compressed; snout long, tapering into a hoe-shaped process; two dorsal fins, the first triangular and preceded by a long venomous spine; pectoral fins very large; tail long, pointed. Silvery white, often with indistinct dusky blotches on body and fins. To 1.2 m.
Biology
The Elephant Fish probes the sea floor with its long snout in search of invertebrates and small fishes. Females lay leathery spindle-shaped egg cases onto soft bottoms. The species is commercially fished in southern waters.
Distribution
New Zealand and southern Australia.
Habitat
On soft bottoms in inshore and offshore waters, to depths of about 200 m.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Compressed body, long snout with fleshy process on end, silvery white with darker blotches.
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Maximum Size
1.2 m
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Habitats
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Diet
Carnivore
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Hazards
Dorsal-fin spine is venomous.
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Endemicity
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Commercial
Yes
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Conservation Statuses
DSE Advisory List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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Depths
Shallow (1-30 m), Deep ( > 30 m)
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Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor, Midwater
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
Bory de Saint Vincent, 1823
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Common Name
Elephantfish
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Superclass
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Class
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Subclass
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
milii
