Bulldog Stargazer, Xenocephalus armatus Kaup 1858
Other Names: Armoured Blenny, Brown Stargazer, Deepwater Stargazer, Green Stargazer
Bulldog Stargazer, Xenocephalus armatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A greenish stargazer becoming white below, with greyish-brown dorsal, caudal and pectoral fins, whitish to pinkish anal and pelvic fins, and a narrow white margin on the dorsal and caudal fins. The species has a curved flap-like processes on the chin.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2025., Xenocephalus armatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Jul 2026, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/4188
Bulldog Stargazer, Xenocephalus armatus Kaup 1858
More Info
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Distribution |
Off Crowdy Head, New South Wales, to southern Tasmania, and west to Port Phillip, Victoria. The species is found at depths of about 10 200 m. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin 12-13; Anal fin 15-16; Pectoral fin 19-21; Pelvic fin I, 5; Caudal fin 12-13. Body shallow (15-23% SL), elongate; head and trunk depressed. Head moderately large (34-39% SL), almost completely encased in bone; non bony space between eyes moderately narrow (17-24% HL); except for moderately small humeral spine, spines and bony ridges not especially prominent; eyes of moderate size (20-24% HL), directed dorsolaterally; mouth large, vertical; lips without fleshy fringe; teeth rather small, slender, widely spaced, in about two rows; edges of lower jaw with a pair of prominent flattened bony flaps curved forwards and inwards, leaving space between flaps and chin; humeral spine sometimes covered by skin, no fleshy fringing associated with spine or opercular edge. Scales present on body, tiny, deeply embedded, especially in juveniles. Single rather short based continuous dorsal fin without spines present posteriorly on body; anal fin with elongate base, rays increasing in length posteriorly; caudal fin rounded. Pectoral fins large. Pelvic fins fleshy, jugular, arising below eyes. |
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Similar Species |
The curved flap like processes on the chin of this species quickly distinguishes it from all other stargazers in southern Australia. |
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Species Citation |
Xenocephalus armatus Kaup 1858, Archiv für Naturgeschichte 24(1): 85. Type locality: New Zealand. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025. |
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Resources |
Bulldog Stargazer, Xenocephalus armatus Kaup 1858
References
Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Uranoscopidae. pp. 678-683 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.
Gomon, M.F. 2015. 214 Family Uranoscopidae, pp. 1484-1490 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. (eds). The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 4 pp. 1153-1748.
Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. (as Gnathagnus innotabilis)
Kaup, J.J. 1858. Uebersicht der Familie Gadidae. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 24(1): 85-93 See ref at BHL
Kishimoto, H. 1989. A new species and a new subspecies of the stargazer genus Gnathagnus from Northwestern Australia. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 36(3): 303-314 figs 1-4
Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. (as Gnathagnus innotabilis)
May, J.L. & Maxwell, J.G.H. 1986. Field Guide to Trawl Fish from Temperate Waters of Australia. Hobart : CSIRO Division of Marine Research 492 pp. (as Gnathagnus innotabilis)
Pietsch, T.W. 1989. Phylogenetic relationships of trachinoid fishes of the family Uranoscopidae. Copeia 1989(2): 253-303
Scott, E.O.G. 1979. Observations on some Tasmanian fishes: part XXV. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania v. 113: 99-148. https://doi.org/10.26749/rstpp.113.99 (as Gnathagnus innotabilis)
Springer, V.G. & Bauchot, M.-L. 1994. Identification of the taxa Xenocephalidae, Xenocephalus, and X. armatus (Osteichthys: Uranoscopidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107(1): 79-89 figs 1-2
Vilasri, V. 2013. Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic systematics of the family Uranoscopidae (Actinopterygii: Perciformes). Memoirs of the Faculty of Fisheries Hokkaido University 55(1/2): 1-106.
Waite, E.R. 1904. New records or recurrences of rare fishes from eastern Australia. No. 3. Records of the Australian Museum 5(4): 231-244 figs 33-34 pls 25-26 https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.5.1904.1055 (described as Gnathagnus innotabilis, type locality off Narrabeen, New South Wales)
Whitley, G.P. & Phillipps, W.J. 1939. Descriptive notes on some New Zealand fishes. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 69(2): 228-236 figs 21-22 (as Gnathagnoides innotabilis & Gnathagnoides innotabilis grandior)
