Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, 9; A, 9; P, 11  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Carapace deep, body triangular in cross section, very wide ventrally with mid-dorsal ridge elevating to acute tip above middle of body. Carapace made of hexagonal-shaped thickened scales, firmly sutured to one another. There are openings in the carapace for the mouth, eyes, gills slits, dorsal, anal and pectoral fins and caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin in front of anal fin. Caudal fin rounded. Pelvic fin absent. Snout pointed and dorsally concave. Large eye, extending above dorsal contour. 4-5 backward-directed spines on the ventrolateral ridge. color : body yellow-gray often with greyish-blue dots. Dark lines outline the hexagonal scales. Small dark spots on the caudal peduncle. size : common 12-20 cm (max. 28 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Body shape easily distinguishes T. gibbosus from all other Mediterranean species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds on small benthic invertebrates. Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : sandy substrate, usually covered with seagrass, to 50 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1988. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : wide Indo-Pacific. Red Sea, eastern Africa south to Natal, Japan to northern Australia. Mediterranean : recorded first from Israel (Spanier and Goren, 1988). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare. Only a few specimens have been recorded, most of them from trawl catch. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Spanier E. and Goren M., 1988. An Indo-Pacific trunkfish Tetrosomus gibbosus (Linnaeus): first record of the family Ostracionidae in the Mediterranean. Journal of Fish Biology, 32: 797-798. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: March 2001 ©ciesm 2002