Скачать или смотреть Why Australia Has Such Weird Fishes

The longsnout boarfish (Pentaceropsis recurvirostris) is another iconic species endemic to the Great Southern Reef.

In addition to its striking appearance, what makes this fish stand out is its unusual feeding habits.

Along with the worms you’d expect from a bottom-dwelling predator, it also preys on brittle stars.. a rare choice among fishes.

Reports also list brown algae turning up in its diet too, which is surprising for a species otherwise considered carnivorous.

Adding to its uniqueness, the longsnout boarfish is the only species in its genus. Its scientific name, recurvirostris, comes from the Latin recurvus (curved upwards) and rostrum (snout), a nod to its distinctive concave profile.

The Great Southern Reef is home to an extraordinary number of fishes like this that occur nowhere else. Millions of years of isolation, rich kelp forests, and stable temperate seas have created the conditions for unique lineages to evolve, making the region one of the planet’s true centres of marine endemism.