Animal Species:Scribbled Leatherjacket, Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765)

The Scribbled Leatherjacket is the longest Australian leatherjacket species, growing to 1 m in length. It occurs in tropical marine waters worldwide.

Identification

The Scribbled Leatherjacket has an elongate, compressed body. The long snout has a concave profile, both above and below. The mouth is small and upturned. The caudal fin is large and rounded. The body is yellow, brown or grey, with blue lines, and blue and black spots.

Two species of Aluterus occur in Australian waters. The second is the Unicorn Leatherjacket, Aluterus monoceros.

Size range

The Scribbled Leatherjacket grows to a total length of 1m. It is the longest Australian leatherjacket species.

Distribution

The Scribbled Leatherjacket is found in tropical marine waters worldwide.

In Australia it is recorded from the south-western coast of Western Australia, around the north of the country and south to southern New South Wales.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Scribbled Leatherjacket specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Habitat

Adults live on coastal reefs in waters 20 m or more in depth. Juveniles, such as that in the images, are pelagic.

Feeding and Diet

It eats a range of foods including algae, seagrasses, certain soft corals and anemones.

Other behaviours and adaptations

Juveniles often swim in a vertical, head-down position with drifting vegetation, which they presumably mimic.

Classification

Species:
scriptus
Genus:
Aluterus
Family:
Monacanthidae
Order:
Tetraodontiformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  3. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557. (as Scrawled Leatherjacket).


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Scribbled Leatherjacket, Aluterus scriptus, Monacanthidae,