''Acanthaluteres spilomelanurus'', the bridled leatherjacket, is a species of fish of the family Monacanthidae in the order of

Tetraodontiformes Tetraodontiformes (), also known as the Plectognathi, is an order of ray-finned fishes which includes the pufferfishes and related taxa. This order has been classified as a suborder of the order Perciformes, although recent studies have found ...

. It can reach 14 cm in total length.FishBase
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Habitat

It is distributed between the coastal shores of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

and

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and along the coast of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. The 14 cm maximum-length small fish is distributed in the

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

, the beds of the Sargassum-willow-like seagrass beds, and the Sargassum-dense stands of the Sargassum seaweed in which it is shielded and is able to graze within the brackish and subtropical waters. Generally recorded at 0–15 meters deep and at 10.2 to 22.6 degrees of the temperature of the sea, it prefers the shallow vegetated zones where it schools in large numbers or in pairs over the large numbers of the seagrass beds. Though its optimum sites are the soft bottomed densely vegetated areas, its distribution is recorded to span the rocky reefs as well, further enhancing its adaptability and niche. Its occupation of this large distribution and habitat in the coastal inshore waters thus shows its adaptability in dynamic ecosystems despite the fact that its reliance on vulnerable seagrass and algal sites makes it deserving of consideration under protection.

Geographical distribution

It is found in Australia, from Perth to Sydney.

Comments

It is harmless to humans.

Gallery

File:Acanthaluteres spilomelanurus 171464281 (cropped).jpg, Female (left), male (right) File:Acanthaluteres spilomelanurus 177797750.jpg, Congregation in Tasmania File:Acanthaluteres spilomelanurus 61097169.jpg, Showing size

References

Fish described in 1824 {{Tetraodontiformes-stub

Habitat

Geographical distribution

Comments

Gallery

See also

References