Oldwife
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Oldwife
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Enoplosidae Genus: Enoplosus Lacépède, 1802 Species: E. armatus
Binomial name
Enoplosus armatus (White, 1790)

The oldwife, Enoplosus armatus, is a species of perciform fish, the only species in the genus Enoplosus and family Enoplosidae.

It is native to reefs in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, and to the coastal waters of Australia.

Oldwife (Enoplosus armatus)

Originally classified with the butterflyfishes, it has a similar deep and compressed body but is easily distinguished by its silver-and-black zebra-striped coloration, and by its two prominent dorsal fins, the second of which is very long, sickle-shaped, and has poisonous spines. It grows up to 50 cm long.

Its common name refers to the sound it makes when caught, caused by it grinding its teeth.

References

• "Enoplosidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• "Enoplosus armatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• Enoplosus armatus (TSN 169695). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 27 March 2006.
• "Old Wife". Australian Museum.