''Assiculus'' is a genus of fish in the "dottyback" family Pseudochromidae. It is monotypic, containing only ''Assiculus punctatus''. It is a small species of

dottyback The dottybacks are a family, Pseudochromidae, of fishes which were formerly classified in the order Perciformes, but this has been revised and the family is regarded as of uncertain affinities, or ''incertae sedis'' within the Ovalentaria, a cl ...

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. ''A. punctatus'' is found in coastal areas in the vicinity of reefs and weedy areas; normally in rather turbid waters as deep as . This secretive species frequents areas where there are highly eroded limestone reefs and rocks. 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 ''Discoveries in Australia; with an account of the coasts and rivers explored and surveyed during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43, by command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a narrative of Captai ...

''. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''punctatus'' references the small blue spots on the dorsal part of the body and fins.

References

Fish of Australia Fauna of Western Australia Pseudochrominae Monotypic ray-finned fish genera Monotypic marine fish genera Taxa named by John Richardson (naturalist) Fish described in 1846 {{ray-finned fish-stub