Cheeseman's Puffer, Lagocephalus cheesemanii (Clarke 1897)
Cheeseman's Puffer, Lagocephalus cheesemanii. Source: Ken Graham / NSW Fisheries. License: All rights reserved
Summary:
A dark brown to brownish-black puffer, with the lower side silver, a broad silver-white band running from the snout below the eye to the caudal-fin base, a dark caudal fin with white margins on the upper and lower lobes, elongated middle caudal-fin rays, and the side of head silver with dark yellowish tinge. The spinules on the back form a rhomboidal patch extending from before the eye to the rear part of the pectoral fin.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Lagocephalus cheesemanii in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/865
Cheeseman's Puffer, Lagocephalus cheesemanii (Clarke 1897)
More Info
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Distribution |
Off Carnarvon, Western Australia, and the Coral Sea east of Swains Reefs, Queensland, to northeast of Eden, New South Wales. Elsewhere the species occurs in the east-Indo-west Pacific, including New Zealand. The species is pelagic on the continental shelf over sandy or muddy areas at depths to 200 m; juveniles may occur in estuaries. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin 11-15; Anal fin 11-14; Pectoral fin 15-18; Vertebrae 8+11=19. Head length 30.0–34.7 % SL, snout length 13.9–16.2 % SL. Longitudinal skin fold extending on the ventro-lateral corner of the body from chin to the ventral part of caudal peduncle; the lateral lines divided into ventral and lateral sections, the ventral element coursing along the skin fold and the lateral element extending along the mid-lateral side of the body from the region dorsal to the gill opening to the caudal-fin base with the anterior extension coursing from ventral to the eye to the snout region; two openings in nasal organ wide. Ventral surface of head and belly covered with spinules, extending just posterior to the lower jaw to slightly before anus; dorsal and anal fins slightly pointed; pectoral fin rounded; caudal fin double emarginated, the middle rays slightly produced posteriorly; the dorsal and ventral tips of the caudal fin produced posteriorly. Spinules on the back in a rhomboidal patch, starting anteriorly between the nasal organ and the eye with the widest expansion dorsal to midway between the eye and the gill opening, tapering posteriorly and ending at the region dorsal to the posterior part of the pectoral fin. Caudal fin double emarginate with middle rays posteriorly produced. |
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Colour |
Dorsal half of body dark brown to brownish black; side of head silver with dark yellowish tinge; lower side of body between gill opening and caudal-fin base silver, edged dorsally with an obscure yellowish stripe; dorsal and pectoral fins dark; anal fin white; caudal fin dark brown to black with dorsal and ventral white tips. |
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Feeding |
Feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and fishes. |
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Similar Species |
Lagocephalus cheesemanii differs from other species of Lagocephalus in having the following combination of characters: spinules on the back in a rhomboidal patch extending from the region between the nasal organ to the posterior part of the pectoral fin; caudal fin double emarginate with middle rays posteriorly produced; dorsal-fin rays 11–15; anal-fin rays 11–14; pectoral-fin rays 15–18; vertebrae 8?11=19; dorsal half of the body dark brown to brownish black; caudal fin dark brown to black with dorsal and ventral white tips (Matsuura & Satoh 2016). |
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Etymology |
The species is named cheesemanii after Mr Cheeseman of the Auckland Museum. Clarke, p. 247: 'It may yet prove to be similar to one obtained about a year ago at Tauranga and sent to Mr. Cheeseman, of the Auckland Museum, but which was not, nor has it yet been, I believe, described.' |
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Species Citation |
Tetrodon cheesemanii Clarke 1897, Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 29: 248, pl. 15. Type locality: Moturoa, Taranaki, New Zealand. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2020 |
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Resources |
Cheeseman's Puffer, Lagocephalus cheesemanii (Clarke 1897)
References
Clarke, F.E. 1897. On two new globe-fish. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 29: 243-250, pls 14-15 See ref at BHL
Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)
Matsuura, K. 2001. Ostraciidae, Aracanidae, Triodontidae, Tetraodontidae. pp. 3948-3957 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. 6 pp. 3381-4218.
Matsuura, K. & Satoh, T.P. 2017. Redescription of Lagocephalus cheesemanii (Clarke 1897), a senior synonym of Lagocephalus gloveri Abe and Tabeta 1983, based on morphological and genetic comparisons (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae). Ichthyological Reseearch 64: 104–110, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-016-0547-2
Paulin, C., Stewart, A., Roberts, C. & McMillan, P. 1989. New Zealand fish: a complete guide. National Museum of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series 19: 1-279
Shao, K., Liu, M., Jing, L., Hardy, G., Leis, J.L. & Matsuura, K. 2014. Lagocephalus cheesemanii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3.
