Fishes - Australian Museum Fish Site

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Razorfish
Aeoliscus strigatus (Günther, 1860)

Razorfish
A Razorfish collected from a depth of 2.5m, Sampong village harbour, Maestro de Campo Island, Philippines, May 2000 (AMS I.40143-001). View larger image.
Razorfish - head
The head of the above fish. View larger image.

The Razorfish has a highly compressed body that is encased in thin plates. It has a long pointed snout and an elongated dorsal spine with a moveable tip.

This species is yellowish brown to pale with a black stripe running from the snout to the caudal peduncle.

It grows to 14cm in length.

Fishes in the family Centriscidae have an unusual mode of swimming. They swim in a vertical position with the head down and with the back facing the direction of travel.

Razorfish are often seen in schools that dart between coral branches or between the spines of sea urchins (Diadema) when disturbed.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Further reading

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and their Relatives. A Comprehensive Guide to Syngnathiformes. TMC Publishing Pp. 240.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
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