Scaly-headed triplefin
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| Scaly-headed triplefin | ||||||||||||||
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| Karalepis stewarti Hardy, 1984 |
The scaly-headed triplefin, Karalepis stewarti, is a triplefin, the only species in the genus Karalepis, found between North Cape and East Cape on the North Island of New Zealand from depths of about 5 to 30 m, in reef areas of broken rock.
It is a nocturnal species, resting in caves and crevices during the day. Its diet is mollusks and crustaceans.
The scaly-headed triplefin is large for a triplefin. It is similar to the variable triplefin, except that it has a rough bony armour covering much of the head which distinguishes it from all other triplefins.
Its colouring is a mottled pattern of red, white, and brown, with 5 irregular red-brown vertical bars on the body. This camouflage is extremely effective against encrusting growth, and, together with its habit of often not moving unless actually touched, probably explains the lack of sightings until recently.
[edit] References
- Karalepis stewarti (TSN 638554). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 19 March 2006.
- "Karalepis stewarti". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
- 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
