Shortspine Porcupinefish, Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch 1785)


Other Names: Birdbeak Burrfish, Fixed Spine Porcupinefish, Orbicular Burrfish, Rounded Porcupinefish, Rounded Porcupine-fish, Short-spined Porcupinefish, Short-spined Porcupine-fish

A Shortspine Porcupinefish, Cyclichthys orbicularis, at Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Source: Graham Edgar / Reef Life Survey. License: CC BY Attribution

Summary:
A brown to greyish porcupinefish with immovable spines, darker blotches and clusters of black spots on the back and sides. The pelagic juveniles covered in black spots.
Video of a stomatopod that speared a Shortspine Porcupinefish.

Cite this page as:
Dianne J. Bray, Cyclichthys orbicularis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/779

Shortspine Porcupinefish, Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch 1785)

More Info


Distribution

Recorded from Shark Bay, WA to Ulladulla, NSW, also Lord Howe Island, NSW. Found elsewhere in the tropical, Indo-west Pacific. Usually inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms on clear protected reefs with sponge and algal habitats.

Feeding

Nocturnal - presumably feeds on hard-shelled invertebrates.

Species Citation

Diodon orbicularis Bloch, 1785, Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales NĂ©erlandaises 5: 81, pl. 127. Type locality: Cape of Good Hope, Moluccas, Jamaica (syntypes).

Author

Dianne J. Bray

Shortspine Porcupinefish, Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch 1785)

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. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

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. 1785. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin : J. Morino Vol. 1 136 pp. pls 109-144.

Francis, M.P. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, Southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170.

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.

Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific, Indonesia and Adjacent Waters. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 314 pp. pls.

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.

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.

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.

Leis, J.M. 1986. Family No. 269: Diodontidae. pp. 903-907 in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.

Leis, J.M. 2001. Diodontidae. pp. 3958-3965 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.

Leis, J.M. 2006. Nomenclature and distribution of the species of the Porcupinefish family Diodontidae (Pisces, Teleostei). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63(1): 77-90.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

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.

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1985. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37469007

Depth:9-170 m

Habitat:Reef associated, sandy & muddy areas

Max Size:30 cm TL

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CAAB distribution map