Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus (De Vis 1885)
A Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-Noncommercial
The Smooth Razorfish is the largest of all the razorfishes.
Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus (De Vis 1885)
More Info
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Distribution |
Widespread in the tropical Western Pacific. REcorded in Australian waters from the Houtman Albrolhos (28º49´S) to Trimouille Island (20º21´S), WA, and from the Gulf of Carpentaria (140º12´E) to Noosa Heads (26º23´S), QLD; a benthic inshore species inhabitatng estuaries, seawhip fields and seagrass beds. |
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Features |
Body elongate, extremely compressed with a sharp ventral edge; enclosed in protective transparent sutured plates; lateral plate sutures smooth; interorbital space convex with a lateral groove; snout long, tubular, mouth small, teeth absent; lateral line absent. Caudal and soft dorsal fins placed postero-ventrally; spinous dorsal posterior in position; dorsal spine rigid, unjointed. |
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Size |
Total length 30 cm. |
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Colour |
Body silvery with a dusky to yellow mid-lateral stripe; adults with several blue bars along upper sides. |
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Feeding |
Razorfishes feed on tiny planktonic crustaceans, especially amphipods and mysids. |
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Biology |
Eggs and larvae are planktonic. |
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Fisheries |
Although the species is of no interest to fisheries, it is collected for the aquarium industry. |
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Conservation |
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Similar Species |
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Species Citation |
Amphisile cristata De Vis 1885. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (1)9(4): 872. Type locality: Noosa Beach, Queensland |
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Author |
Vanessa J. Thompson & Dianne J. Bray |
Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus (De Vis 1885)
References
De Vis, C.W. 1885. New fishes in the Queensland Museum. No. 5. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (1)9(4): 869–887.
Fritzsche, R.A. & Thiesfeld, K.G. 1999. Families Aulostomidae, Fistulariidae, Macrorhamphosidae, Centriscidae. pp. 2277-2282 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4, 2069–2790 pp.
Hoese D.F., Bray D.J., Paxton J.R. & Allen G.R. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley P.L. & Wells A. (eds) Zoological catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia Part 1, pp xxiv 1-670; Part 2, pp xxi 671-1472; Part 3 pp xxi 1473-2178
Kuiter, R.H. 2009. Seahorses, Pipefishes and their Relatives. Aquatic Photographics, Seaford, Australia.
Kuiter, R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 1. Eels- Snappers, Muraenidae - Lutjanidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 302 pp.
Whitley, G.P. & Allan, J. 1958. The sea-horse and its relatives. The Griffin Press, Adelaide, Australia.
