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Nannygai
Centroberyx affinis (Günther, 1859)

A Nannygai at a depth of 18 m, "The Arch", Jervis Bay, March 2001. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.

A Nannygai caught by I. Graham, about 2 km off Cronulla, Sydney, New South Wales, March 2006. Photo © I. Graham. View larger image.

A school of Nannygai at a depth of 25 m, Shark Point, New South Wales. Photo © A. Lumnitzer. View larger image.

A Nannygai caught on hook and line by D. Nobbs at a depth of 70 m, Lord Howe Island, March 2001. Photo © J. Shick. View larger image.

An x-ray image of a Nannygai bought from Sydney Fish Markets, 2001. Photo: J. King © Australian Museum. View larger image.

The Nannygai has a moderately deep, compressed body and a large head with serrated opercular and preopercular margins . It has large eyes and an oblique mouth that extends back to the posterior margin of the eye.

There is a single dorsal fin and an anal fin positioned on the lower margin of the body, opposite the soft rayed portion of the dorsal fin. The caudal fin is deeply forked.

The Nannygai is usually silvery-red with pale spots on the scales forming stripes.

It is a schooling species that grows to 51 cm in length.

The Nannygai is mostly found in deep coastal and offshore waters. Juveniles sometimes enter estuaries.

This species is only found in south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. In Australia it is known from southern Queensland to northern Tasmania.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

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Nannygai Centroberyx affinis (Günther, 1859)

Further reading

Nannygai
Centroberyx affinis (Günther, 1859)