Smooth Razorfish

Centriscus cristatus is the tallest member of the family Centriscidae of the order Syngnathiformes.

Description

The smooth razorfish possesses a body at the same time very stretched and compressed laterally, it can reach a size of maximum 30 cm. Its snout is long and tubular. Its fins are translucent and the dorsal spine is rigid. Its body coloration is bright silver with a dusky to yellow middle line and with bluish streaks perpendicular to the median line.

Distribution & habitat

Centriscus cristatus is found in the central Indo-Pacific area between in the west the western Indonesia until the Marshall Islands to the east, and the Australian shore (west, north and east) New-Caledonia included for the southern limit to the south Japan in the northern limit. It likes shallow coastal waters and estuaries until 10 m depth.

Biology

It occurs solitary or in small groups,swimming head down but can adopted an horizontal fast swimming posture in case of danger. It feeds on small planktonic crustaceans, particularly ampipoda and mysids.