Australian Spotted Handfish

This species possess the following set of characters: esca small, 8-24% (mean 14%) of illicium length (including esca); illicium elongate, no dermal spinules, length 23-28% SL, 1.8-2.1 times in head length; eye large, mainly less than 5.4 times in head; body entirely covered with close-set, non-imbricate scales; scale bases subcircular with long unicuspid spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); spinules originating from middle of scale base, variable in length over body; second dorsal-fin rays 16-18 (mean 17), fin base 55-61% (mean 58%) SL; length of first ray of first dorsal fin 1.1-1.4 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; anal-fin rays usually 9-10; pectoral-fin rays 7; upper body lightly covered with longitudinal streak-like markings not spots; caudal fin with sparse coverage of large dark spots, not forming a broad submarginal bar (Ref. 72490).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 20; Analsoft rays: 8 - 11

This species is recorded from depths of 18 m to at least 210 m, commonly at about 40-150 m depth, but may occur deeper; one specimen was taken by a trawler fishing in 123-277 m, but the depth of capture cannot be determined. Newly hatched young and egg capsule diameter unknown; egg diameter 1.7-1.9 mm (Ref. 72490).