Flaming flagfin

Flagfin fishes get their colloquial name from their comparatively large dorsal fins.  There are about ten species of Hime in the Pacific and eastern Indian ocean.

The flaming flagfin, Hime pyrhistion, was described by Te Papa’s Carl Struthers and Andrew Stewart and an Australian colleague in 2013.  It had long been suspected as being a different species.  But confirmation of this status awaited examination of more specimens – it has a higher dorsal fin and different colouration.  Its distinctiveness was also supported by genetic analyses.

The species name, pyrhistion, comes from the Greek words pyr for “fire” and histion for “sail”.  This refers to the colourful red and yellow patterned dorsal fin that characterises the species.

It occurs off north-eastern New Zealand, south to the Bay of Plenty, the Kermadec Ridge, Norfolk Ridge and Lord Howe Rise in the Tasman Sea, and off eastern Australia, at depths of 80-380 m.

The holotype, which is the specimen linked to the scientific name, was collected by a recreational fisher, as were many other specimens used to describe this species.  You too can get involved as a citizen scientist – help us make more discoveries.

Reference:
Gomon MF, Struthers, CD, Stewart AL (2013) New Genus and Two New Species of the Family Aulopidae (Aulopiformes), Commonly Referred to as Aulopus, Flagfins, Sergeant Bakers or Threadsails, in Australasian Waters. Species Diversity 18: 141-161. Online pdf.

Note: Te Papa’s collections of flagfin fishes are not yet online.