Pseudophycis bachus (Forster 1801)

Nostrils anterior to eye by about one-third of snout length. Rear margin of caudal truncate; scales in a transverse row between first dorsal and lateral line 7 to 9. Pyloric caeca 6 to 8. Colour: chiefly reddish pink shading to paler ventrally, vertical fins with dark margins; a dark blotch at base of pectoral fin.

New Zealand and around Australia, at least from Sydney to Adelaide, and around Tasmania.

Reaches about 90 cm total length, but mostly smaller.

In New Zealand, usually on soft muddy or sandy bottomsat depths of 50 to about 550 m, but most abundant in 200 to 300 m along the edge of the continental shelf. A shallow-water population inhabits crevices and caves in rocky areas at depths less than 50 m. Spawning occurs in late winter over the outer continental shelf, with large females producing as much as 30 million eggs. The young grow to 22 cm after year one, 30 to 35 cm after year two, and about 50 cm after year four, when they become sexually mature.Feeds primarily on fishes, cephalopods, crabs and other crustaceans (Ayling & Cox, 1982).

Trawled in New Zealand (Canterbury Bight and off Westland). For 1983: 8 651 t were reported to FAO, down considerably from the 12 889 t taken in 1977. These figures may include P. barbata, with which it has been confused for a long time in the fishery and in the literature. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 12 555 t. The countries with the largest catches were New Zealand (12 528 t) and Japan (27 t).