Shortnose Tripodfish, Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch 1786)


Other Names: Blackfinned Triplespine, Black-finned Triple-spine, Blacktail Tripodfish, Sharp-nosed Tripodfish, Shortnosed Tripodfish, Short-nosed Tripod-fish, Silver Leather-jacket, Triplespine, Triple-spine

A Shortnose Tripodfish, Triacanthus biaculeatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial

Summary:
A dusky silver tripodfish becoming paler below, with a very dark membrane on the spinous dorsal fin between the first and third spines (and usually also between spines 3-5), a dusky blotch on the side above and behind the yellow pectoral fin, and an indistinct pale midlateral stripe. The head profile from above the eye to the dorsal-fin origin is slightly convex to straight.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Triacanthus biaculeatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/889

Shortnose Tripodfish, Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch 1786)

More Info


Distribution

Northern Australia, from Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, to the Burdekin River, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, Indo-west Pacific.
Inhabits sandy and muddy areas in coastal and estuarine waters.

Features

Scale-covered ventral surface of pelvis almost as wide anteriorly as posteriorly, not distinctly tapered to a point; margin of head from above eye to dorsal-fin origin slightly convex or almost straight; postorbital length about equal to orbit diameter.

Colour

neswith an indistinct silvery stripe along midside of body; spiny . Colour: Upper side dusky silver and lower side creamy silver, 

Feeding

Feeds on benthic invertebrates.

Fisheries

Taken as bycatch in bottom trawls.

Etymology

The specific name biaculeatus is from the Latin bi- (= two) and aculeatus (= spined) in reference to the two pelvic-fin spines that are sharply pointed.

Species Citation

Balistes biaculeatus Bloch 1786, Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische Vol. 2: 17, pl. 148(2). Type locality: East Indies

Author

Bray, D.J. 2022

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Shortnose Tripodfish, Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch 1786)

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. 

Bloch, M.E. 1786. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin : J. Morino Vol. 2 160 pp. pls 145-180. 

Boeseman, M. 1947. Revision of the fishes collected by Burger and van Siebold in Japan. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 28: 1-242 pls 1-5

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. 

Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp. 

Grant, E.M. 1991. Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : EM Grant Pty Ltd 480 pp. 

Jeyaseelan, M.J.P. 1998. Manual of fish eggs and larvae from Asian mangrove waters. UNESCO, Paris, 193 pp.

Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp.

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293 

Marshall, T.C. 1964. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coastal Waters of Queensland. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 566 pp. 136 pls. 

Matsuura, K. 2001. Triacanthodidae, Triacanthidae, Balistidae. pp. 3902-3928 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. 


Ramm, D.C., Pender, P.J., Willing, R.S. & Buckworth, R.C. 1990. Large-scale spatial patterns of abundance within the assemblage of fish caught by prawn trawlers in Northern Australian waters. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 41(1): 79-95.

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. 

Temminck, C.J. & Schlegel, H. 1850. Pisces. In, Siebold, P. Fr de (ed.) Fauna Japonica. Leyden : Apud Arnz & Socios Vol. 4 324 pp. 144 pls. (described as Triacanthus brevirostris, type locality Japan)

Tyler, J.C. 1968. A monograph on plectognath fishes of the superfamily Triacanthoidea. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 16: 1-364 figs 1-209

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37464002

Depth:0-60 m

Habitat:Sandy/muddy areas

Max Size:30 cm TL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map