Moonlighter, Tilodon sexfasciatus (Richardson, 1842)
Scientific name: Tilodon sexfasciatus
Alternative name/s:
Butterfish, Six-banded Coral Fish, Six-banded Sweep
Butterfish, Six-banded Coral Fish, Six-banded Sweep
Click to enlarge image
A Moonlighter shot in very shallow water at Lady Bay, South Australia, October 2010.
The photographer David Muirhead stated that "Here in South Australia Moonlighters are very often engaged in daytime cleaning of many same-sized or bigger inshore fishes, mostly rocky macroalgal reef site-associated species. The Moonlighter has a 'station' (often a small elevated rock overhang or shallow reef ledge) albeit much less clearly defined than the sponges or similar prominent fixed invertebrate benthic stations favoured by the Western Cleaner-Clingfish, Cochleoceps bicolor."
Image: David Muirhead
© David Muirhead
© David Muirhead
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Tilodon
- Species
- sexfasciatus
- Family
- Microcanthidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
-
- Size Range
- It grows to 30 cm in length.
Introduction
The Moonlighter can be recognised by its deep body and barred pattern. It is silver with one bar crossing the head through the eye, three on the sides of the body and one or two on the caudal peduncle.
Distribution
The species is endemic to Australia, occurring in coastal waters of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and south-western Western Australia.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia
References
- Gomon, M.F., Bray, D. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 2008. The Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Reed New Holland. Pp. 928.
