|
FISH FACTS |
Description
A very thin fish with a large skin flap on the belly, a concave snout profile and a caudal filament. It is cream to brown with brown blotches and mottling on the body, and brown bands on the caudal fin. When swimming above mussel beds, or crinoids, it can assume a dark colouration. Body size up to 40 cm.
Most can be found within 10 metres of the surface. They tend to swim using only their dorsal and anal fins, often with little motion in the rest of the body. This leaves them to be a very slow fish. Its diet consists of seagrass, amphipods, shrimps and algae.
Author credit: Mark McGrouther / Australian Museum
Habitat
Coastal and estuarine waters in areas of sheltered seagrass beds or protected reefs with heavy marine growth.
Food
Omnivore
Range
Northern, eastern and western Australia.
Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Actinopterygii | | Order: | Tetraodontiformes | | Family: | Monacanthidae | | Genus: | Monacanthus | | Species: | chinensis | | Common Name: | Fan-bellied Leatherjacket |
|
|
