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Bearded Leatherjacket
Anacanthus barbatus Gray, 1830
Above and below: A Bearded Leatherjacket caught by a commercial fisher at a depth of 3 m, Coolongolook River, Wallis Lake, New South Wales, November 2004. Photo: M. McGrouther © Australian Museum. View larger image.
The Bearded Leatherjacket can be recognised by its elongate, compressed head and body. The mouth opens on the upper side of the very long snout. There is a barbel on the lower jaw. The dorsal and anal fins are long-based.
It grows to 35 cm in length.
This species occurs primarily in inshore tropical waters, often over sandy substrates amongst seaweed and seawhips. It is known from the Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.
In Australia it is found from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
It has also been called the Jumping Leatherjacket and Ribbon Leatherjacket.
Related links
- View the Leatherjackets list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Hutchins, J.B., 2001 Monacanthidae. Filefishes (leatherjackets). in
Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide
for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central
Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine
crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammals. FAO, Rome. Pp.
iii-v, 3381-4218.
