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Three-bar Porcupinefish
Dicotylichthys punctulatus Kaup, 1855
Above and below: A Three-bar Porcupinefish at a depth of 3 m, Port Kembla, New South Wales, August 2004. Photo © S. Schulz. View larger image.
A Three-bar Porcupinefish at a depth of 8 m, Bass Point, New South Wales. Photo © P. Zylstra & H. Rothenfluh. View larger image.
Head of a Three-bar Porcupinefish showing the fused teeth in the lower jaw. Photo © G. McNeil.
The Three-bar Porcupinefish has a rounded body that is covered with spines. The spines on the back are blade-like and fixed in position, but those on the belly and head can be raised. It has a very broad head, with eyes positioned laterally. The teeth are fused to form a single plate in both jaws.
This species is green to blue-grey above and white below. The body is covered with small black spots. There is a dark bar under the eye, another on the operculum and a third on the body behind the pectoral fin.
It grows to 43 cm in length.
The Three-bar Porcupinefish is endemic to Australia. It is found on coastal and offshore reefs, often in rocky areas, from southern Queensland to northern Tasmania.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species looks similar to the Spotfin Burrfish. The latter species has spots on the fins and has fewer spines on the head and body. Although there is some overlap in distribution, the Spotfin Burrfish generally occurs in tropical waters and the Three-bar Porcupinefish is found in more temperate waters of Australia's east coast.
Related links
- Australian Burrfish fact sheet
- Spotfin Burrfish fact sheet
- View the Spiny Pufferfishes list
- Low resolution movie clip (wmv - 52k, mov - 106k).
- Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.
Further reading
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
