Triacanthidae

Triacanthus nieuhofii

The Dreistachler ( Triacanthidae ) are a family in the order of the pufferfish relatives ( Tetraodontiformes ).

Features

They have a slightly elongated, laterally compressed body, covered by small, rough scales. The mouth opening is small. Like their relatives, the triggerfish and filefish, the first ray of the first dorsal fin hartstrahligen is formed into a strong sting. In addition, they have instead of the pelvic fins each have a sting, which they got their name. Your caudal fin is deeply forked and, unlike all other puffer fish -like, the main drive member. Dreistachler be 15 to 28 inches tall, their coloration is silvery.

Fins formula: Dorsal 1 V, 2 Dorsal 14-21, 13-22 anal

Way of life

Little is known about the lifestyle of Dreistachler. They live in the Indo-Pacific. All except triacanthus biaculeatus are pelagic fish that occasionally come only near the coast. Triacanthus biaculeatus lives from the Persian Gulf along the coasts of Asia to Japan, and on the coasts of southern and eastern Australia in the sea and brackish water.

System

There are four extant genera with seven species. In addition, two extinct genera are known.

• † Acanthopleurus
• † Protacanthodes ( Eocene )
• Pseudotriacanthus Fraser -Brunner, 1941 Pseudotriacanthus strigilifer ( Cantor, 1849)

• Triacanthus biaculeatus ( Bloch, 1786)
• Triacanthus nieuhofii Bleeker, 1852

• Tripodichthys angustifrons ( Hollard, 1854)
• Tripodichthys blochii ( Bleeker, 1852)
• Tripodichthys oxycephalus ( Bleeker, 1851)

• Trixiphichthys weberi ( Chaudhuri, 1910)