Common toadfish

The common toadfish (Tetractenos hamiltoni), also known as the common toado, toadfish or toado,[1] (formerly classified as Tetrodon hamiltoni[2][3] or Torquigener hamiltoni) is a species of fish in the family Tetraodontidae of order Tetraodontiformes, found along Australia's eastern coast, from northern Queensland to Flinders Island, and around Lord Howe Island,[1] as well as in New Zealand waters. It often buries itself in sand with only its eyes exposed.[4]

Common toadfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Tetraodontiformes
Family:
Tetraodontidae
Genus:
Tetractenos
Species:
T. hamiltoni
Binomial name
Tetractenos hamiltoni

The fish is sandy to whitish in colour, with small brown spots over most of the back and upper sides, and brown bars and blotches beneath.[5] It has a maximum length of 14 cm.[4] It is similar in appearance to the smooth toadfish, but has smaller spots and more prominent spines in the skin.[5]

Like some other fish, the common toadfish is able to vary the amount of pigment in its cornea, which becomes yellow in colour under bright light.[6]

It is (rarely) used as an aquarium fish for brackish-water aquariums. Along with related toadfish species, it is known in Australia as a "toadie."

As with other fish of this family, the flesh is poisonous, due to tetrodotoxin, and eating the fish can have fatal consequences.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Australian Faunal Directory: Tetractenos hamiltoni". Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  2. World Register of Marine Species - Tetractenos hamiltoni (Richardson, 1846), accessed 8 March 2010.
  3. G.S. Hardy, "Revision of Australian species of Torquigener Whitley (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae), and two new generic names for Australian puffer fishes," Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 13, No. 1/2, 1983, pp. 1–48.
  4. Fishbase - Tetractenos hamiltoni, accessed 8 March 2010 (find mirrors).
  5. Australian Museum: Common Toadfish.
  6. Ulrike E. Siebeck, Shaun P. Collin, Majid Ghoddusi, and N. Justin Marshall, "Occlusable corneas in toadfishes: light transmission, movement and ultrastruture of pigment during light- and dark-adaptation," Journal of Experimental Biology, Volume 206, 2177-2190 (2003).
  7. Puffer fish poisoning: a potentially life-threatening condition, accessed 8 March 2010.


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