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Fly-specked Hardyhead
Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum (Günther, 1867)
A school of Fly-specked Hardyhead at Sydney Aquarium. Photo: S. Humphreys © Australian Museum. View larger larger image.
The Flyspecked Hardyhead has a slender body covered with black dots. This pattern gave rise to the common name. The fish is golden yellow to deep green above, changing to white below. A dusky to silver stripe runs from the snout to the caudal peduncle.
It grows to about 8 cm in length.
This species is endemic to Australia. It occurs in some freshwater streams of the Northern Territory to southern Queensland.
The Flyspecked Hardyhead eats mainly mosquito larvae and aquatic insects. It will also eat crustaceans and has been observed eating algae in aquaria. It can be easily kept in aquaria but its natural colours often fade.
The related Unspecked Hardyhead, Craterocephalus fulvus, was originally described as a subspecies of C. stercusmuscarum. This species occurs in coastal drainages from southern Queensland to northern New South Wales and the Murray-Darling River system.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. T.F.H. Publications. Pp. 240.
- Ivantsoff, W. & L.E.L.M. Crowley. in McDowall, R.M. 1996. Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Reed Books. Pp. 247.
- Merrick, J.R. & G.E. Schmida. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes. Biology and Management. John R. Merrick. Pp. 409.
- Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.
