Bluespotted Leatherjacket, Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus Hutchins 1977

Other Names: Blue-finned Leatherjacket, Blue-spotted Leatherjacket

A male Bluespotted Leatherjacket, Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial

Summary:

Males are pale brownish with prominent darker brown stripes on the head and following the curved lateral line on the body, and pale spots on the sides. Females are brownish-grey with a series of round and elongate pale blue to iridescent blue spots along the head and body, and torquoise fin rays. Juveniles are similar to females with irregular blotches on body, and indistinct yellowish blotches on the head.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2018, Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/4191

Bluespotted Leatherjacket, Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus Hutchins 1977

More Info

Distribution	Albany to northwest of Broome, Western Australia. Juveniles often associate with jellyfishes.
Features	Dorsal soft rays 35-39; Anal fin 34-37; Pectoral fin 13-14; Caudal fin 12; Vertebrae 7+12=19. Base of anal fin longer than soft dorsal-fin base; caudal fin greatly elongate (0.7 in head length). Pelvic bony structure very small, immovable, located about 1 eye diameter anterior to rear end of pelvis.
Fisheries	May be taken as bycatch in commercial trawls.
Etymology	The species is named caeruleoguttatus (Latin: meaning 'blue-spotted') in reference to the blue spots on the head and body.
Species Citation	Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus Hutchins 1977, Records of the Western Australian Museum 5(1): 28, fig. 8. Type locality: Beagle Island, Western Australia
Author	Bray, D.J. 2018
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Bluespotted Leatherjacket, Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus Hutchins 1977

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. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.

Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 1984. Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwest Australia. Jakarta : Dir. Gen. Fish. (Indonesia), German Tech. Coop., Aust. Dev. Ass. Bur. 406 pp.

Hutchins, B. 2004. Fishes of the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 66: 343–398

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 figs 1-13 (also described as Eubalichthys fuscosinus) See ref at WAM Open access; see ref at BHL

Hutchins, J.B. 1997. Checklist of fishes of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. pp. 239-253 in Wells, F. (ed.). The Marine Fauna and Flora of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum. (also as Eubalichthys fuscosinus)

Matsuura, K., Collette, B., Nelson, J., Dooley, J., Fritzsche, R., Carpenter, K. & Hutchins, B. 2010. Eubalichthys caeruleoguttatus (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T155299A115297422. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T155299A4769507.en. Downloaded on 03 May 2018.

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls.