Common Name: Crowned Toby

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the western Pacific Ocean, from north Western Australia to Marshall Islands and Tonga, north to southern Japan. In Australia recorded from Exmouth in Western Australia north to Port Hedland, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to Eurobodalla in southern New South Wales, and including Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs.

Ecological Notes: Frequents rocky and coral reef in sheltered habitat, over sand and rubble substrates. Depth to 80 m.

Additional Notes: Three dark triangular saddles over the back, fourth saddle over the eyes, all with broken yellow edges and extending no further than midline of body. Blue lines radiating from eyes, belly pale. Similar Canthigaster valentini has black saddles that extend much lower on belly, and has darker spots between the saddles. Grows to 11 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.460.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=canthigaster+axiologus. Accessed 26/04/2019.