Monacanthus chinensis
Also known as: Centreboard Leatherjacket, Fan-bellied Leatherjacket, Fanbelly Filefish, Fanbelly Leatherjacket, Fantail Filefish, Fantail Leatherjacket, Fan-tailed Filefish, Fan-tailed Leatherjacket, Leatherjacket
Found singly over silty, mud and weedy bottoms of trawling grounds, estuaries, coastal and off-shore reefs.
Filefish can alter their colour and pattern to match their surrounds and so deter predators.
Although closely related to the Triggerfish, their "trigger spine" cannot be locked into place.
Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.
Found singly over silty, mud and weedy bottoms of trawling grounds, estuaries, coastal and off-shore reefs.
1 comment
We caught a fan bellied leatherjacket in Lake Illawarra on 31/04/2017 @ 3:00PM. Caught using plastic worm. It was about 300mm long. I have never seen one of these in our lake in the 55 years I have fished here. We also caught a 700mm Cobia. We have pictures of both if anyone is interested.
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