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Spiny Gurnard
Lepidotrigla papilio (Cuvier, 1829)
A Spiny Gurnard at a depth of 18 m, western side of Bare Island, Sydney, New South Wales. View larger image.
A Spiny Gurnard at a depth of 9 m, Fly Point, Port Stephens, New South Wales, June 2003. View larger image.
A Spiny Gurnard at a depth of 10 m at Fly Point, New South Wales. View larger image.
The Spiny Gurnard has a an ocellus on the first dorsal fin and three detached and thickened lower pectoral fin rays. Enlarged spiny scales run along the lateral line and along the bases of the two dorsal fins.
When disturbed, this species often spreads its blue-margined pectoral fins. This behaviour is likely to startle potential predators.
This species grows to 20 cm in length.
It lives mostly in sand and rubble areas in estuaries and coastal reefs.
The Spiny Gurnard is endemic to Australia. It occurs in southern temperate marine waters from central New South Wales to south-western Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- View a low resolution movie clip (83k) of this species. Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.
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. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433. (as Lepidotrigla pleuracanthica).
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437. (as Lepidotrigla pleuracanthica).
