| Rainbow cale | |
|---|---|
| | |
| A male rainbow cale | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Subfamily: | Hypsigenyinae |
| Genus: | Heteroscarus Castelnau, 1872 |
| Species: | H. acroptilus |
| Binomial name | |
| Heteroscarus acroptilus (J. Richardson, 1846) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Heteroscarus acroptilus, the rainbow cale, is a species of weed whiting endemic to Australia where it is found in marine waters along the southern coast. [3] It inhabits rocky reefs that have plentiful growth of brown algae and also in beds of seagrass, particularly those of the genus Posidonia . [4] It occurs at depths of from 1 to 15 metres (3.3 to 49.2 ft). This species grows to a length of 24 centimetres (9.4 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. This species is the only known member of its genus. [2]