Torquigener pleurogramma

Lore & Background

Charles Tate Regan described the species in 1903. Early records in Australian waters of the orange-spotted toadfish (Torquigener hypselogeneion) actually refer to the weeping toadfish. It can be distinguished from the orange-spotted toadfish, which is not found in Australian waters, by its more prominent spines.

The fish reaches 22 cm in length, with an elongated body, rounded back, and flattened belly. It has a small mouth with thin lips at its apex and a tiny chin. Dense, sturdy spines cover the area from its nose to halfway between its pectoral and dorsal fins. Its upperparts are greyish or greenish with lighter and darker dots and dark bands, while the chin is yellowish and the belly white. A dark-brown stripe runs from the base of the pectoral fin to the tail fin along the sides. Several dark lines run vertically down its cheeks, creating a 'weeping' appearance. Its corneas turn yellow in bright light.

Its range extends from Hervey Bay in central Queensland to Narooma in southern New South Wales on Australia's east coast, and from Adelaide around to Coral Bay in Western Australia. It is found off Lord Howe Island but not Tasmania. It lives in shallow salt water, can gather around jetties and piers, and occurs to depths of 27 m. Schools may form in deeper coastal waters during summer, moving from estuarine habitat and perhaps dying out en masse during autumn. The species is known to attack divers in large numbers, like the silver pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus, but they cannot inflict large bites.

Reader's Guide

Torquigener pleurogramma holds significance as a common and widespread toadfish along much of Australia's coastline, from central Queensland to southern New South Wales on the east coast and from Adelaide to Coral Bay in Western Australia, including Lord Howe Island. Its flesh is highly toxic, posing a particular danger to domestic animals such as dogs, which are especially vulnerable to poisoning. The species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable population. Ecologically, it plays a role in shallow coastal and estuarine habitats, forming schools that may move into deeper waters during summer and potentially die out en masse in autumn. Its reproductive strategy involves spawning in aggregations just outside estuaries, with peak activity in mid-summer; juveniles enter estuaries in large numbers during July and August, coinciding with peak freshwater discharge. The species is also notable for its behavior of attacking divers in large groups, though its bites are not severe. Its distinctive 'weeping' cheek markings and the historical confusion with the orange-spotted toadfish add to its taxonomic interest.

Did You Know?

• Domestic animals such as dogs are especially vulnerable to poisoning by its flesh.
• It can be distinguished from the orange-spotted toadfish by its more prominent spines.