Callionymus belcheri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Callionymus belcheri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Callionymiformes |
| Family: | Callionymidae |
| Genus: | Callionymus |
| Species: | C. belcheri |
| Binomial name | |
| Callionymus belcheri J. Richardson, 1844 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Callionymus belcheri, Belcher's dragonet or the flathead dragonet, is a species of dragonet native to the Pacific Ocean waters off of Australia and Papua New Guinea where it occurs at depths of from 18 to 36 metres (59 to 118 ft).
Callionymus belcheri has a yellowish to brown head and body with many small white spots on its back. The flanks are marked with white blotches which have dark brown margins. The underside is white. There are two dorsal fins, the first dorsal fin is brownish in colour, with a distal margin that is often blackish and which in males has white spots. The second dorsal fin is marked wither with light and dark streaks or with small white spots. The anal fin of males has a dark streak and in females is colourless or has dark spots on ots distal portion. The lower two-thirds of the caudal fin has brown spots. The preopercular spine has a concave ventral margin. There are a total of 4 spines in the dorsal fins and 9 soft rays with 8 soft rays in the anal fin. This species grows to a length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in) SL.[1]
Distribution
Callionymus belcheri occurs in Queensland from Moreton Bay north to northern New Guinea and into the Gulf of Carpentaria,[2] and westwards to northern Western Australia.[3]