About Tetractenos hamiltoni (Richardson, 1846)
Tetractenos hamiltoni, commonly called the common toadfish or common toado, was formerly classified under the names Tetrodon hamiltoni and Torquigener hamiltoni. It is a fish species belonging to the family Tetraodontidae, order Tetraodontiformes. This species is distributed along Australia’s eastern coast from northern Queensland to Flinders Island, around Lord Howe Island, and also occurs in New Zealand waters. Common toadfish often bury themselves in sand, leaving only their eyes exposed. Their base body colour ranges from sandy to whitish, with small brown spots covering most of the back and upper sides, and brown bars and blotches on the underside. This species reaches a maximum total length of 14 centimetres (5.5 inches). It looks similar to the smooth toadfish, but differs by having smaller spots and more prominent skin spines. Like some other fish species, the common toadfish can adjust the amount of pigment in its cornea, which turns yellow when exposed to bright light. It is rarely kept as an aquarium fish in brackish-water aquariums. Along with other related toadfish species, it is commonly referred to as a "toadie" in Australia. Like other members of its family, its flesh contains the toxin tetrodotoxin, and eating this fish can result in fatal poisoning.
