Wasp-spine Velvetfish, Acanthosphex leurynnis (Jordan & Seale 1905)
Other Names: Dwarf Velvetfish
Wasp-spine Velvetfish, Acanthosphex leurynnis, near Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia, November 2018. Source: uwkwaj / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A cryptic brownish to light brown velvetfish, sometimes with whitish patches on the head and lower sides, often whitish pectoral and caudal fins with a brown wavy band on the outer part, a transparent rear margin on the caudal fin, and a pair of short tentacles on the chin.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2025, Acanthosphex leurynnis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 08 Jun 2026, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4423
Wasp-spine Velvetfish, Acanthosphex leurynnis (Jordan & Seale 1905)
More Info
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Distribution |
Scattered records from Whitfords Beach, Western Australia, around the tropical north to the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland. Elsewhere, the species occurs in the Indo-west Pacific - India east to Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia, north to China and Japan. Inhabits rocky, rubble, seagrass and weedy areas near reefs. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin III, IX-X, 7-9; Anal fin I-II, 6; Pectoral fin 9-10; Pelvic fin I, 2; Lateral-line pores 9, +1 on caudal-fin base. Body compressed; gill openings restricted to sides of head; preorbital armed with 2 very large posteriorly directed blunt spines, extending well beyond posterior margin of eye; preoperculum with 4 large spines, upper largest, spines gradually decreasing in length ventrally. Dorsal fin origin above near middle of eye. First dorsal spine stout and strong. Membrane between third and fourth dorsal spines deeply concaved. Head and body lacking scales, except for tube-like lateral line scales. |
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Size |
To about 3 cm total length. |
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Etymology |
The specific name is from the Greek leuros (= smooth) and hynnis (= vomer), perhaps in reference to the small vomerine teeth. |
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Species Citation |
Prosopodasys leurynnis Jordan & Seale, 1905, Proceedings of the United States National Museum 29(1433): 525, fig. 5. Type locality: Hong Kong. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025 |
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Resources |
Wasp-spine Velvetfish, Acanthosphex leurynnis (Jordan & Seale 1905)
References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.
Fowler, H.W. 1938. Descriptions of new fishes obtained by the United States Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross, chiefly in Philippine seas and adjacent waters. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 85(3032): 31-135 figs 6-61. (changed genus to Acanthosphex)
Johnson, J.W. 2004. Two new species and two new records of aploactinid fishes (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes) from Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 56(2): 179-188. https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.56.2004.1421
Jordan, D.S. & Seale, A. 1905. List of fishes collected in 1882-83 by Pierre Louis Jouy at Shanghai and Hongkong, China. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 29(1433): 517-529. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.29-1433.517
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.
Motomura, H., Matsuura, K. & Khan, M. 2018. Acanthosphex leurynnis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T114155281A114155332. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T114155281A114155332.en. Downloaded on 19 August 2020.
Poss, S.G. 1999. Families Scorpaenidae, Caracanthidae, Aploactinidae. pp. 2291-2358 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 pp. 2069-2790.
Poss, S.G. & Eschmeyer, W.N. 1978. Two new Australian velvetfishes, genus Paraploactis (Scorpaeniformes : Aploactinidae) with a revision of the genus and comments on the genera and species of the Aploactinidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 41(18): 401-426. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/52358
Russell, B.C. & Houston, W. 1989. Offshore fishes of the Arafura Sea. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 6(1): 69-84. (as Xenoaploactis sp.)
Vidthayanon, C. & Bettencourt, S. 1988. First record of Acanthosphex leurynnis (Jordan & Seale 1906), a rare velvetfish (Scorpaeniformes: Aploactinidae) in the Gulf of Thailand. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 36: 109-116.
