Species Aracana aurita (Shaw, 1798)

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

• Ostracion auritus Shaw, G. in Shaw, G. & Nodder, F.P. 1798. The Naturalist's Miscellany, or coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described from nature. London Vol. 9 pls 325–348, unnumbered pages. [pl. 338] [the name is derived form the Latin adjective auritus = eared or attentive].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 2007.10.26.1 skin, Islands of the Pacific Ocean, probably TAS.
• Ostracion striatus Shaw, G. 1804. General Zoology or Systematic Natural History. Fishes. London : G. Kearsley Vol. 5 1-463 pls 1(or 93)-182. [430] [based on a drawing].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Adventure Bay, Australia.
• Ostracion tobinii Donovan, E. 1824. The Naturalist's Repository; or monthly miscellany of exotic natural history. London Vol. 2 unnumbered pages pls 37–72. [pl. 66].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Van Diemen's Land.
• Ostracion (Aracana) lineata Gray, J.E. 1838. Notes on fish. Annals of Natural History 1: 109-111 [110].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH skin, Circular Head, TAS, Australia.
• Ostracion spilogaster Richardson, J. 1840. On some new species of fishes from Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 8: 25-30 [27].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH, Port Arthur, TAS.
• Aracana spilogaster angustata McCulloch, A.R. & Waite, E.R. 1915. A revision of the genus Aracana and its allies. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 39: 477-493 pls 16-25 [488, pl. 23].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) SAMA F166, Bass Strait, TAS.
• Aracana spilogaster spinosissima McCulloch, A.R. & Waite, E.R. 1915. A revision of the genus Aracana and its allies. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 39: 477-493 pls 16-25 [488, pl. 21].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM I.1372, TAS.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part III. Records of the Australian Museum 5: 329–436 [426]

 

Generic Combinations

• Acarana aurita (Shaw, 1798) [alternative spelling of generic name]. —
  Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [59] (2398)
• Aracana aurita (Shaw, 1798). —
  Günther, A. 1870. Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Physostomi, containing the families Gymnotidae, Symbranchidae, Muraenidae, Pegasidae, and of the Lophobranchii, Plectognathi, Dipnoi, [thru] Leptocardii, in the British Museum. London : British Museum Vol. 8 549 pp. [258]
• Aracana spilogaster (Richardson, 1840). —
  McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part III. Records of the Australian Museum 5: 329–436 [426]

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Off Newcastle, NSW (32°07'S) to Dongara, WA (29°15'S) and TAS; temperate.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Continental shelf, inshore, rock reef, seagrass.

Extra Ecological Information

10–160 m.

 

General References

Coleman, N. 1980. Australian Sea Fishes South of 30ºS. Lane Cove, NSW : Doubleday Australia Pty Ltd 309 pp. [288]

Edgar, G.J. 2008. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Sydney : Reed New Holland 2nd edn, 624 pp. [580]

Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers. Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp. [116, 143]

Hutchins, J.B. & Thompson, M. 1983. The Marine and Estuarine Fishes of South-western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 103 pp. 345 figs. [68, 87]

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp. [411]

Kuiter, R.H. 1994. Family Aracanidae. pp. 892-902, figs 788-794 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [897]

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp. [404]

Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. [510]

Matsuura, K. 2008. Families Ostraciidae, Tetraodontidae. pp. 842-856 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. [847]

May, J.L. & Maxwell, J.G.H. 1986. Field Guide to Trawl Fish from Temperate Waters of Australia. Hobart : CSIRO Division of Marine Research 492 pp. [415]

McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part III. Records of the Australian Museum 5: 329–436 [426] (and as A. spilogaster)

Scott, T.D., Glover, C.J.M. & Southcott, R.V. 1974. The Marine and Freshwater Fishes of South Australia. Adelaide : Government Printer 392 pp. figs. [340]

Waite, E.R. 1921. Illustrated catalogue of the fishes of South Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2(1): 1-208 293 figs pl. 1 [193] (and p. 194, as Aracana spilogastra var. angusta)

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [59] (2398, as Acarana aurita)

 

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [897] (Shaws Cowfish)

Grant, E.M. 1991. Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : EM Grant Pty Ltd 480 pp. [398] (Southern Cowfish)

Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. [510] (Shaw's Cowfish, Striped Cowfish)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Shaw's Cowfish)

Thomson, J.M. 1978. A Field Guide to the Common Sea & Estuary Fishes of Non-tropical Australia. Sydney : Collins 144 pp. [66] (Painted Boxfish)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)