Acanthaluteres brownii – Spinytail Leatherjacket
Acanthaluteres brownii was first described by Richardson in 1846. The genus name Acanthaluteres is derived from the word ‘acanthus’ which means ‘thorn’ or ‘spine’. The exact reference is not given, but it probably refers to the sturdy, serrated, four-edged dorsal fin of A. paragaudatus, the type species of the genus Aluteres, which included A. brownii at the time of description. The species name ‘brownii’ is in honor of Robert Brown (1773 – 1858), botanist and naturalist.
Their common name is Spinytail Leatherjacket.
Description
With a maximum length of 55 centimeters, Acanthaluteres brownii is quite a large fish. The males have a green to yellowish-green color. Blue dashed lines run from the head to the back, changing into dots halfway. There is a yellow spot on the caudal peduncle.
The Spinytail Leatherjacket females are brown-gray. Instead of blue lines, these are mainly blue dots.
Origin
Acanthaluteres brownii is endemic to southern Australia. They inhabit the shallows and sheltered reefs and adjacent seagrass beds at depths of 0 to 25 meters. They are found from Kangaroo Island to Shark Bay.
Author
John de Lange
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