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Australian Burrfish
Allomycterus pilatus Whitley, 1931
An Australian Burrfish (CSIRO H6033-25) trawled during the NORFANZ expedition between the surface and 90 m, off Lord Howe Island, May 2003. Photo: R. McPhee © NORFANZ. View larger image.
The holotype of Allomycterus pilatus. This specimen is stored in the Australian Museum fish collection (AMS I.15159). It was collected at a depth of 110 m, off Botany Bay, New South Wales in the early 1900s. Photo: M. Allen © Australian Museum. View larger image.
Illustration of the Australian Burrfish used in the original description of the species. View larger image.
The Australian Burrfish has a rounded body that is covered with stout blade-like spines. It has rounded dorsal, anal and caudal fins. Its pectoral fins have indented posterior margins.
Two forms of the species are recognised. A shallow-water form has scattered dark spots dorsally. The deep-water form has yellow blotches on the sides.
This species is known from as shallow as 5 m in estuaries to at least 320 m in offshore waters, where it is sometimes caught in the nets of trawlers.
The Australian Burrfish occurs in temperate marine waters from central New South Wales to Western Australia, including Tasmania. It is also known from some seamounts on the Norfolk Ridge, Tasman Sea.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- View the Spiny Pufferfishes list
Further Reading
- Gomon, M.F. in Gomon, M.F, Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Crawford House Press. Pp. 437.
