Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch, 1786)

Goutham-Bharathi, M. P., Sirajudheen, T. K., Santucci, Ronald Grech, Fricke, Ronald & Dimech, Mark, 2024, First record of Triacanthidae Bleeker, 1859 (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes) from the Red Sea, Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 54, pp. 21-25 : 21

Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch, 1786)

English vernacular name: short-nosed tripodfish (Fig. 2

Balistes biaculeatus Bloch, 1786.- Bloch (1786): 17, pl. 148 (2) [type locality: “Ostindien” (Indonesia)].

Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch, 1786).- Carpenter et al. (1997): 235.- Matsuura (2001): 3908.- Heemstra et al. (2022): 414, pl. 105, 106.

Material examined.

SAUDI ARABIA, southern Red Sea , Jizan; three specimens were trawled from a sandy/muddy habitat between 16°56.922′N, 042°29.091′E and 16°57.480′N, 042°24.689′E; 15 Aug. 2023; M.P. Goutham-Bharathi leg., BD/KAUST-0823-003 (155 mm TL); BD/KAUST-0823-004 (180 mm TL); BD/KAUST-0823-005 (200 mm TL); 13.3-20.9 m .

Description.

Body moderately elongated, strongly compressed, head profile from above eye to first dorsal-fin spine base slightly convex to straight; skin moderately thick with minute scales, upright spinules on each scale producing rough shagreen-like appearance; mouth small, terminal, snout moderately acute; five dorsal spines; anterior dorsal fin membrane black, spiny dorsal-fin membrane very dark between first and third spines, equally dark between third and fifth spines; caudal peduncle tapering distinctly, wider than deep.

Color.

The coloration of the freshly collected specimens was silvery, upper half of body dusky and pale below with indistinct pale mid-lateral stripe; large dark blotch on dorsum beneath spiny dorsal fins; soft dorsal, anal and pectoral fins yellowish; caudal fin dark yellow.

Figures

Figure 2. Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch, 1786) [BD / KAUST- 0823 - 004]; 180 mm TL; Jizan, southern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia.