Elegant Sand Diver, Trichonotus elegans
Scientific name: Trichonotus elegans
Click to enlarge image
Elegant Sand Diver, Trichonotus elegans
Image: Doug Hoese
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Trichonotus
- Species
- elegans
- Family
- Trichonotidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
Introduction
As its common name suggests the Elegant Sand Diver can literally dive head first into sandy seabeds.
Identification
The species has a very enlongate body and a black spot at the base of the leading dorsal fin rays. These rays are extremely elongate in males.
Distribution
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
