Atypichthys latus,Eastern Footballer
Atypichthys latus was described in 1916 by McCulloch & Waite. The genus name Atypichthys can be broken down into two ancient Greek words. Atypus means ‘don’t follow the rules’ and Ichthys means fish.
They belong to the Kyphosidae family or Stripeys by their common name.
Description
The maximum length of Atypichthys latus is about 30 centimeters, but many adults do not exceed about 20 centimeters.
All over the body and the head there are black / dark brown horizontal stripes that are alternated with cream colored stripes. These stripes do not extend completely into the anal fin. In a very similar species, Microcanthus strigatus, they run into the anal fin. The fins are otherwise yellow.
Origin
You can find Atypichthys latus along the south coast of Australia to the northern islands of New Zealand. They inhabit the rocky coasts from the water surface to a depth of about 60 meters.
Diet
This carnivore prefers live or frozen food. You can feed them invertebrates, Krill, Mysis, shrimp, Zooplankton, etc.
The aquarium
Due to its size, Atypichthys latus requires a large aquarium. At least 3,000 liters, but more is recommended. This species is not suitable for beginners.
Author
John de Lange
Copyright images
John Turnbull – CC BY – NC-SA 2.0
References