© Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia Full citation Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia: Volume 1 - Bony and Cartilaginous Fishes. Report for the South Australian Working Group for Marine Species of Conservation Concern. J. Baker (consultant); Science and Conservation Division, and Coast and Marine Conservation branches of S.A. Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH); Marine and Coastal Community Network of S.A. (MCCN), and Threatened Species Network (TSN). Web version published by Reef Watch, South Australia.

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CONGIOPODIDAE: PIGFISHES

© B. Hutchins

Globally, there are 4 genera and 9 named species in the Congiopodidae (Froese and Pauly, 2008), all found in cooler waters in the Southern Hemisphere (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994). Species in the family tend to be benthic, and some occur to around 500m deep (Nelson, 1994, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2008).
Members of the family have a long snout (with a single nostril on each side) ending in a small mouth; a scale-less body often covered with granular skin; and gill openings that are reduced to a small slit above the level of each pectoral fin base, amongst other distinctive features (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994). Like members of the Aploactinidae, fishes in the Congiopodidae can shed the outer layer of skin.
Definitely one species (Perryena leucometopon) and possibly another (the New Zealand species Congiopodus leucopaecilus) have been recorded in southern Australia (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; CSIRO, 2007). Gulf St Vincent in S.A. is the type locality of P. leucometopon. The New Zealand species Southern Pigfish (C. leucopaecilus) has been classified as Range Restricted in New Zealand (Department of Conservation, New Zealand, 2005), but is presence in South Australia is questionable, hence only the former species is discussed below.

Associated taxa

White-nose Pigfish

Perryena leucometopon (Waite, 1922)