Silver drummer

Taxobox
name = Silver drummer


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Kyphosidae
subfamilia = Kyphosinae
genus = "Kyphosus"
species = "K. sydneyanus"
binomial = "Kyphosus sydneyanus"
binomial_authority = (Günther, 1886)

The silver drummer, "Kyphosus sydneyanus", is a sea chub of the family Kyphosidae, found around Australia and New Zealand in shallow rocky areas. Length is up to 75 cm, and they may weigh up to 11 kg.

The silver drummer is a plump bodied fish with a broad blunt head and a strong square-cut caudal fin. They have small powerful mouths, adapted to bite off seaweed, particular the red and green varieties.

Small silver drummer prefer shallow rocky areas with breaking waves, whereas larger specimens are seen in deeper water often in schools.

This is a long-lived species, a specimen 60 cm long being estimated to be nearly 50 years old.

They are very poor eating.

References

*
* Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, "Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand", (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8