The common shore eel (''Alabes dorsalis'') is a species of

clingfish Clingfishes are fishes of the family Gobiesocidae, the only family in the order Gobiesociformes. These fairly small to very small fishes are widespread in tropical and temperate regions, mostly near the coast, but a few species in deeper seas or ...

from Australia. It is generally found in the south-eastern waters of Australia. It usually grows to about 12 cms (4.7 in). Often found by beachgoers after looking in rock-pools and turning over shells. AlabesDorsalAlanFletcher

Description

The common shore eel is a large brownish-orange to bright green eel-like fish, it sometimes has a line of large blackish spots along its flanks. It has a short head with small eyes, a small mouth and a small gill slit on the underside of its head which is about the same length as the diameter of its eye. There is a single sensory pore above and behind the eyes. The

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal c ...

, the

anal Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involvin ...

and the

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

are joined into a single fin. The

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

s are much reduced and are situated just behind the gill slits and are roughly the same length as the gill slits. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins have no rays within them . There is a vestigial disc-like sucker between the pelvic fins. The maximum length of a common shore eel is in

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

Distribution

The common shore eel is a temperate species which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to southern Australia. Its range may extend as far north as Queensland but it certainly found from

Broken Bay Broken Bay, a semi-mature tide-dominated drowned valley estuary, is a large inlet of the Tasman Sea located about north of Sydney central business district on the coast of New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies of water that separa ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

south and west as far as just south-west of

Ceduna, South Australia Ceduna ( ) is a town in South Australia located on the shores of Murat Bay on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. It lies west of the junction of the Flinders and Eyre Highways around 786 km northwest of the capital Adelaide. The port tow ...

. It also occurs around the coast of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. This species is frequently encountered by people searching in rock pools and turning over rocks on beaches, especially in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Habitat and biology

The common shore eel occurs under rocks and shells from the intertidal zone down to depths of , though some sources say it can live up to a depth of ,Museums Victoria Collections. (2019). Alabes dorsalis (Richardson, 1845), Common Shore Eel. nlineAvailable at: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/14294 ccessed 2 Jun. 2019 it can also be found among weeds.

References

{{taxonbar, From=Q293197 Common shore eel Fish described in 1845