- Cyclichthys
-
Swelltoads 
Cyclichthys spilostylus Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Tetraodontiformes Family: Diodontidae Genus: Cyclichthys Species - C. hardenbergi
- C. orbicularis
- C. spilostylus
Members of the family diodontidae, species of the genus Cyclicthys are usually known as swelltoads.
Contents
Distinguishing features
Fish of the genus Cyclicthys have;
- three-rooted, rigid spines (actually modified scales) distributed over their bodies.
- beak-like jaws, used to crush their hard-shelled prey (crustaceans and molluscs).[1]
They differ from the porcupinefishes (genus Diodon), which have moveable spines.
Defensive Mechanisms
- Like Tetraodontidae (a.k.a; Blowfish) they have the ability to inflate themselves. Their inflated size combined with their spines make them extremely difficult to swallow.
- They may be poisonous, through the accumulation of tetrodotoxin or ciguatera.[1]
Species
- Hardenburg's burrfish, Cyclichthys hardenbergi (de Beaufort, 1939)
- Birdbeak burrfish, Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch, 1785)
- Spotbase burrfish, Cyclichthys spilostylus (Leis & Randall, 1982)
References
- ^ a b Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
Categories:- Diodontidae
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