Shortnose Tripodfish

Interesting Info

• The Shortnose Tripodfish is a shallow-water tripodfish from the Indo-West Pacific, not to be confused with the deep-sea “tripod spiderfishes.”
• In Australia it is found in tropical northern waters, from Shark Bay in Western Australia across the Northern Territory to Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef and into New South Wales.
• This species belongs to the tripodfish family Triacanthidae, named for their extended fin spines that can act like little props on the seabed.
• Its body is oval and compressed with a short, blunt snout that gives the species its common name “Shortnose.”
• The colour pattern is silvery-grey to golden with darker blotches and a faint band along the side.
• Its dorsal fin bears two strong, sharp spines, while the pelvic fins form stout spines that can be braced against the seabed.
• The “tripodfish” name comes from this ability to support itself on its pelvic and dorsal fin spines while resting on sandy bottoms.
• It lives in coastal waters from estuaries and lagoons to sandy reef flats.
• The Shortnose Tripodfish feeds on small crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and other benthic invertebrates it digs from the sand.
• Juveniles are often found closer to shore in shallow lagoons, where they blend with seagrass and rubble.
• They are sometimes caught in small-scale trawl and seine fisheries but are not a targeted species.
• The flesh is edible, but the fish is small and bony, so it is not commercially valuable.
• This species is widespread across the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and India through Southeast Asia to northern Australia.
• The scientific name biaculeatus means “two-spined,” referring to the pair of stout dorsal fin spines.