# Common toadfish

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Species of fish

Common toadfish Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Tetraodontiformes Family: Tetraodontidae Genus: Tetractenos Species: T. hamiltoni Binomial name Tetractenos hamiltoni (J. Richardson, 1846)

The **common toadfish** (***Tetractenos hamiltoni***), also known as the **common toado**, **toadfish** or **[toado](/source/Toado)**,[2] (formerly classified as ***Tetrodon hamiltoni***[3][4] or ***Torquigener hamiltoni***) is a species of fish in the family [Tetraodontidae](/source/Tetraodontidae) of order [Tetraodontiformes](/source/Tetraodontiformes), found along [Australia](/source/Australia)'s eastern coast, from northern [Queensland](/source/Queensland) to [Flinders Island](/source/Flinders_Island), and around [Lord Howe Island](/source/Lord_Howe_Island),[2] as well as in [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand) waters. It often buries itself in sand with only its eyes exposed.[5]

The fish is sandy to whitish in colour, with small brown spots over most of the back and upper sides, and brown bars and blotches beneath.[6] It has a maximum length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in).[5] It is similar in appearance to the [smooth toadfish](/source/Smooth_toadfish), but has smaller spots and more prominent spines in the skin.[6]

Like some other fish, the common toadfish is able to vary the amount of pigment in its [cornea](/source/Cornea), which becomes yellow in colour under bright light.[7]

It is (rarely) used as an aquarium fish for [brackish-water aquariums](/source/Brackish-water_aquarium). Along with related toadfish species, it is known in Australia as a "[toadie](/source/Toadie_(disambiguation))."[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

As with other fish of this family, the flesh is poisonous, due to [tetrodotoxin](/source/Tetrodotoxin), and eating the fish can have fatal consequences.[8]

## See also

- [Aquarium fishery](/source/Aquarium_fishery)

- [Smooth toadfish](/source/Smooth_toadfish), *Tetractenos glaber*

- [List of brackish aquarium fish species](/source/List_of_brackish_aquarium_fish_species)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Shao, K.; Liu, M.; Hardy, G.; Jing, L.; Leis, J.L.; Matsuura, K. (2014). ["*Tetractenos hamiltoni*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/193784/2276476). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2014** e.T193784A2276476. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193784A2276476.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193784A2276476.en). Retrieved 28 October 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-afd_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-afd_2-1) ["Australian Faunal Directory: Tetractenos hamiltoni"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121005030634/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/Tetractenos_hamiltoni). Archived from [the original](http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/Tetractenos_hamiltoni) on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2010-03-08.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [World Register of Marine Species - Tetractenos hamiltoni (Richardson, 1846)](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=282945), accessed 8 March 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hardy_4-0)** G.S. Hardy, "Revision of Australian species of *Torquigener* Whitley (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae), and two new generic names for Australian puffer fishes," *Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand*, Volume 13, No. 1/2, 1983, pp. 1–48. [\[1\]](https://books.google.com/books?id=nLA4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_5-1) [Fishbase – Tetractenos hamiltoni](http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=55042), accessed 8 March 2010 ([find mirrors](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Tetractenos+hamiltoni%22+fishbase)).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AM_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AM_6-1) [Australian Museum: Common Toadfish.](http://australianmuseum.net.au/Common-Toadfish-Tetractenos-hamiltoni-Gray-Richardson-1843/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Ulrike E. Siebeck, Shaun P. Collin, Majid Ghoddusi, and N. Justin Marshall, "Occlusable corneas in toadfishes: light transmission, movement and ultrastruture of pigment during light- and dark-adaptation," *Journal of Experimental Biology*, Volume 206, 2177–2190 (2003).](http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/206/13/2177)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Puffer fish poisoning: a potentially life-threatening condition](http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/177_11_021202/isb10423_fm.html), accessed 8 March 2010.

Taxon identifiers Tetractenos hamiltoni Wikidata: Q2680881 Wikispecies: Tetractenos hamiltoni AFD: Tetractenos_hamiltoni BOLD: 140485 CoL: 7BQVT FishBase: 55042 GBIF: 2407624 iNaturalist: 349323 IRMNG: 10883561 ITIS: 646370 IUCN: 193784 NCBI: 303749 Observation.org: 900112 OBIS: 282945 Open Tree of Life: 484074 WoRMS: 282945

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