Assiculus

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Assiculus punctatus (Discoveries in Australia).jpg

| image_caption = Assiculus punctatus from John Lort Stokes' 1846 Discoveries in Australia

| parent_authority = Richardson, 1846

| taxon = Assiculus punctatus

| display_parents = 2

| authority = Richardson, 1846{{Cof record|spid=22361|title=Assicukus punctatus|access-date=20 October 2018}}

}}

Assiculus is a genus of fish in the "dottyback" family Pseudochromidae. It is monotypic, containing only Assiculus punctatus.{{FishBase genus | genus = Assiculus | month = Jan | year = 2007}} It is a small species of dottyback which is covered in small, bright blue spots. The males are bluish in colour while the females are greenish-yellow and are smaller than the males.{{cite web | author = Dianne J. Bray | title = Assiculus punctatus | work = Fishes of Australia | accessdate = 20 Oct 2018 | url = http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1819 | publisher = Museums Victoria}} A. punctatus is found in coastal areas in the vicinity of reefs and weedy areas; normally in rather turbid waters as deep as {{convert|30|m|ft}}. This secretive species frequents areas where there are highly eroded limestone reefs and rocks.{{FishBase|Assiculus|punctatus|month=June|year=2018}}

The genus and species were first published by Sir John Richardson in an appendix to Volume 1 of John Lort Stokes' 1846 Discoveries in Australia.{{cite book | first = John | last = Richardson | chapter = Appendix: Descriptions of Six Fish | editor = Stokes, John Lort | year = 1846 | title = Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1 | location = London | publisher = T. & W. Boone}} The specific name punctatus references the small blue spots on the dorsal part of the body and fins.{{cite web | url = http://www.etyfish.org/pseudochromidae/ | title = Subseries OVALENTARIA (Incertae sedis): Family PSEUDOCHROMIDAE | accessdate = 20 October 2018 | author1 = Christopher Scharpf | author2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | date = 30 April 2018 | archive-date = 8 November 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201108171554/http://www.etyfish.org/pseudochromidae/ | url-status = dead }}