Radial Leatherjacket, Acreichthys radiatus (Popta 1901)


Other Names: Radial Filefish, Radiated Filefish

A Radial Leatherjacket, Acreichthys radiatus, at Komodo, Komodo, Manggarai, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia. Source: Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:
A very small brown leatherjacket with white lines radiating from the eye onto the head and front part of the body, and white bands and alternating broken lines on the rear of the body. Males have a patch of bristles on each side of the tail base. 

Radial Leatherjackets are extremely well-camouflaged, mimicing the tentacles of xeniid soft corals.

Video of several Radial Leatherjackets concealed amongst soft coral tentacles at Sebumakutan Island, Cebu, Philippines.
Video of a Radial Leatherjacket in an aquarium.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2017, Acreichthys radiatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/790

Radial Leatherjacket, Acreichthys radiatus (Popta 1901)

More Info


Distribution

Found in the tropical East-Indo-West-Pacific.

Features

Dorsal fin II + 26-29; Anal fin 25-27; Pectoral fin 10-11.

First dorsal fin and pelvic-fin rudiment relatively long, robust with prominent barbs; caudal fin rounded, caudal peduncle length about equal to depth with an oblong bristle patch in males; body and first dorsal fin spine with scattered skin flaps.
Adult males develop bristles on the caudal peduncle.

Feeding

Has been seen feeding on the tentacles and body of soft corals.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2017

Radial Leatherjacket, Acreichthys radiatus (Popta 1901)

References


Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Depczynski, M. & Bellwood, D.R. 2004. Microhabitat utilisation patterns in cryptobenthic coral reef fish communities. Marine Biology 145: 455-463.

Hutchins, J.B. 1977. Descriptions of three new genera and eight new species of monacanthid fishes from Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 5(1): 3-58.

Hutchins, J.B. 2002. Description of a new genus and species of miniature monacanthid fish from the Seychelles and Marshall Islands. Records of the Western Australian Museum 21(2): 213-219.

Kuiter, R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 3. Jawfishes - Sunfishes, Opistognathidae - Molidae. Zoonetics, Australia. pp. 623-893.

Matsuura, K. 2014. Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. Ichthyological Research 62(1): 72-113 DOI: 10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5 PDF available, open access.

Matsuura, K. & Motomura, H. 2016. Acreichthys radiatus. (errata version published in 2017) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T69921147A115473422. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T69921147A70010060.en. Downloaded on 03 July 2017.

Popta, C.M L. 1900. On a small Monacanthus. Notes from the Leyden Museum 22(1-2): 126-128. Ref at BHL

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Tyler, J. & Lange, M. 1982. Redescription of the Indo-Australian Filefish Acreichthys radiatus (Popta). American Museum Novitates 2727: 1-14. PDF

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37465044

Behaviour:Mimics tentacles of soft corals

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:1-12 m

Fishing:Aquarium fish

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:7 cm TL

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map