Dr. John Turnbull, Marine Explorer, Australien
Info
When you think of lyre fish, the first species that comes to mind is certainly the mandarin mandarin lyre fish (Synchiropus splendidus), the LSD mandarin fish (Synchiropus picturatus) or perhaps the star mandarin fish (Synchiropus stellatus), which fascinate us with their great coloration and their floating way of moving.
But there is also a whole range of less colorful Lyrefish, such as Repomucenus calcaratus from Australia.
This less colourful Lyrefish has a sand-coloured upper side with small grey spots or rings and a pale belly with larger grey spots on the sides, the most striking feature is a black spot on the first dorsal fin.
This species is moderately common in Australia's temperate marine waters in coastal bays near reef edges in southern New South Wales, but seems to be restricted elsewhere to depths below 20 metres.
The distribution of this species is somewhat uncertain, as records from southwest Australia may refer to a similar but different species.
This Lyrefish has a flattened head and an elongated body, with a large spike on the preoperculum, pointing down and forward.
Enes of the photos by John Turbull shows a fish partially buried in the sand, where you have to look very closely to recognize it, a perfect camouflage.
In English this Lyrefish has two less beautiful names, "Spotted Stinkfish and Stink-fish", this naming comes from a caustic smelling body slime of the animals, which is considered poisonous in some species.
Synonyms:
Callionymus calcaratus MacLeay, 1881
Callionymus ocelligena McCulloch, 1926
But there is also a whole range of less colorful Lyrefish, such as Repomucenus calcaratus from Australia.
This less colourful Lyrefish has a sand-coloured upper side with small grey spots or rings and a pale belly with larger grey spots on the sides, the most striking feature is a black spot on the first dorsal fin.
This species is moderately common in Australia's temperate marine waters in coastal bays near reef edges in southern New South Wales, but seems to be restricted elsewhere to depths below 20 metres.
The distribution of this species is somewhat uncertain, as records from southwest Australia may refer to a similar but different species.
This Lyrefish has a flattened head and an elongated body, with a large spike on the preoperculum, pointing down and forward.
Enes of the photos by John Turbull shows a fish partially buried in the sand, where you have to look very closely to recognize it, a perfect camouflage.
In English this Lyrefish has two less beautiful names, "Spotted Stinkfish and Stink-fish", this naming comes from a caustic smelling body slime of the animals, which is considered poisonous in some species.
Synonyms:
Callionymus calcaratus MacLeay, 1881
Callionymus ocelligena McCulloch, 1926
