Spiny Gurnard, Lepidotrigla papilio (Cuvier 1829)

Other Names: Butterfly Gurnard, Eastern Spiny Gurnard, Southern Spiny Gurnard

Summary:

A reddish to brownish gurnard, with a white underside, a prominent black ocellus on the first dorsal fin, and large bony scutes along the lateral line. The inner surface of the large fan-like pectoral fin is dark green with an iridescent blue margin and a dark blotch on the lower rear of fin. Small juveniles have a prominent ocellus on the inner surface of the pectoral fin.

Spiny Gurnards usually 'walk' over the seafloor using their free thickened pectoral-fin rays.

Cite this page as:

Dianne J. Bray, Lepidotrigla papilio in Fishes of Australia, accessed 07 Feb 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3754

Spiny Gurnard, Lepidotrigla papilio (Cuvier 1829)

More Info

Distribution	Inhabits shelly and sandy bottoms in bays and coastal waters in depths of 2-110 m, although usually above 50 m; juveniles sometimes in seagrass beds. This is the most frequently encountered species of the genus in southern waters.
Features	Dorsal fin VIII-IX + 13-15; Anal fin 14-15; Caudal fin 11; Pectoral fin 11 + 3; Pelvic fin I, 5; Lateral line scales 54-60. Head large, bony, border of snout almost smooth; lateral profile of snout very slightly concave; interorbital extremely depressed; deep transverse groove above and behind eye, grooves meeting on top of head; bony rostrum with only slight medial notch, each side edged with tiny peripheral spines. Scales, ctenoid, firmly attached, not on chest and belly anteriorly; lateral line scales greatly enlarged, each with several distinct spines; caudal-fin margin straight; pectoral-fin tip to well past anal-fin origin.
Colour	Usually red, mottled with reddish brown to dark brown on back and dorsal fins, whitish ventrally; roof of mouth mostly orange; first dorsal fin with large, white-edged, black spot; caudal fin brownish with whitish band basally; inner surface of pectoral fin dark green with narrow blue margin. Small juveniles with prominent ocellus on inner surface of pectoral fin.
Species Citation	Trigla papilio Cuvier 1829, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons 4: 80, pl. 73(-77). Type locality: Indian seas.
Author	Dianne J. Bray
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Spiny Gurnard, Lepidotrigla papilio (Cuvier 1829)

References

Cuvier, G.L. in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. 1829. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 4 518 pp. pls 72-99.

Edgar, G.J., Last, P.R. & Wells, M.W. 1982. Coastal Fishes of Tasmania and Bass Strait. Hobart : Cat & Fiddle Press 175 pp. (as (as Paratriglia papilio)

Gomon, M.F. 1994. Family Triglidae. pp. 494-505 figs 442-450 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs.

Gomon, M.F. & Last, P.R. 2008. Family Triglidae. pp. 508-514 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers. Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp.

Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 709-762.

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp. (as Lepidotrigla pleuracanthica)

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp. (p. 96, as Lepidotrigla pleuracanthica, separating eastern and southern forms into 2 species)

May, J.L. & Maxwell, J.G.H. 1986. Trawl fish from temperate waters of Australia. CSIRO Division of Fisheries Research, Tasmania. 492 pp.

Neira, F.J., Miskiewicz, A.G. & Trnski, T. 1998. Larvae of temperate Australian fishes: laboratory guide for larval fish identification. University of Western Australia Press. 474 pp.

Platell, M.E. & Potter, I.C. 2001. Partitioning of food resources amongst 18 abundant benthic carnivorous fish species in marine waters on the lower west coast of Australia. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 261: 31-54.

Richards, W.J. 1992. Comments on the genus Lepidotrigla (Pisces: Triglidae) with descriptions of two new species from the Indian and Pacific oceans. Bulletin of Marine Science 51(1): 45-65.

Richardson, J. 1845. Ichthyology. 17-52 pls 7-8 (parts), 11-30 in Richardson, J. & Gray, J.E. (eds) The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S., during the years 1839–43. London : E.W. Janson Vol. 2 139 pp. pls 1-60. (p. 127, as Trigla pleuracanthica)