Scientific Name
Choridactylus natalensis

Common Name
Threestick stingfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-10; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. Mostly brownish, mottled in brown, pink and yellow (Ref. 4313).

Classification

Classified By

Gilchrist, 1902

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Scorpionfishes and Flatheads (Scorpaeniformes)

Family

Stonefishes (Synanceiidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Indian Ocean

Distribution

Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique to Durban, Natal in South Africa. Reported as likely at Seychelles (Ref. 1623) but Randall and van Egmond 1994 (Ref. 10685) believe otherwise.

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

35 m

Depth To - meters

75 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; demersal; depth range 35 - 75 m (Ref. 4313)

Trophic Level

3.81 s.e. 0.65 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

14.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5625 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (10 of 100)

Resilience

Unknown

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated