Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus (De Vis 1885)

Other Names: Smooth Razor-fish, Water Shrimpfish

A Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-Noncommercial

Summary:

The Smooth Razorfish is the largest of all the razorfishes.

Cite this page as:

Vanessa J. Thompson & Dianne J. Bray, Centriscus cristatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 05 Jun 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3164

Smooth Razorfish, Centriscus cristatus (De Vis 1885)

More Info

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.
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.
Size	Total length 30 cm.
Colour	Body silvery with a dusky to yellow mid-lateral stripe; adults with several blue bars along upper sides.
Feeding	Razorfishes feed on tiny planktonic crustaceans, especially amphipods and mysids.
Biology	Eggs and larvae are planktonic.
Fisheries	Although the species is of no interest to fisheries, it is collected for the aquarium industry.
Conservation
Similar Species
Species Citation	Amphisile cristata De Vis 1885. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (1)9(4): 872. Type locality: Noosa Beach, Queensland
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.