Deepwater burrfish
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| Allomycterus pilatus Whitley, 1931 |
The deepwater burrfish, Allomycterus pilatus, is a porcupinefish of the family Diodontidae, found in the eastern Indian Ocean, and southern Australia and New Zealand, at depths of between 40 and 270 m. Its length is up to 60 cm.
The deepwater burrfish is superficially similar to the puffers but has large permanently erect spines on the body and head, and has the neurotoxin Tetrodotoxin in the skin and intestines. It can inflate itself with water, becoming the shape and size of a large football. Propulsion is provided by rapid sculling movements of the small dorsal and anal fins, assisted by the tail if extra speed is required. The gill apertures are reduced to small holes high on the sides, immediately in front of the pectoral fins. Fused teeth form strong bony plates with sharp cutting edges and are used to crush the molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms on which these fish normally feed.
Coloration is grey-brown above and white on the belly with a number of irregular black-edged yellow patches on the back and flanks.
[edit] References
- "Allomycterus pilatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
