Platycephalus endrachtensis | |
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Drawing of P. endrachtensis | |
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Dorsal side of P. endrachtensis | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
Family: | Platycephalidae |
Genus: | Platycephalus |
Species: | P. endrachtensis |
Binomial name | |
Platycephalus endrachtensis | |
Synonyms | |
Platycephalus endrachtensis, or the bar-tailed flathead, bar-tail flathead, flag-tail flathead, northern sand flathead, northern-flag tailed flathead, sand flathead, western estuary flathead, is a predatory fish in the family Platycephalidae. [1] It is found from the eastern Indian Ocean to the western Pacific, including in Australian and Indonesian waters up to 60 m (200 ft) deep over sand, at temperatures between 17 and 18 °C (63 and 64 °F). The maximum length of the species is 62 cm (24 in), and its weight up to 5 kg (11 lb). A popular angling species, the specific epithet endrachtensis refers to Eendrachtsland, an early Dutch name for Australia, with the suffix -ensis, meaning "place". [1] Venomous spines are hazardous for safe handling. [1]
Platycephalus endrachtensis has a sandy pale brown to tan colouration for camouflage. [2] [3] It is recognised by the black spots on its tail. [2] The species can be differentiated from the similar P. australis from the two dark horizontal bars on the caudal fin and the yellow blotch on the middle fin, and from P. westraliae by a triangular lappet above the upper iris. [1] It is found from the eastern Indian Ocean to the western Pacific, including in Australian and Indonesian waters up to 60 m (200 ft) deep over sand, at temperatures between 17 and 18 °C (63 and 64 °F). The maximum length of the species is 62 cm (24 in), and its weight up to 5 kg (11 lb). [2] Unlike their relatives, they are not protandrous hermaphrodites. [4]
P. endrachtensis is harmless to humans, is normally seen on the ocean floor, and if provoked, will burst from the sand quickly and settle again nearby. [2] [3]
The species ranges in Australian waters from Hamelin Bay, Western Australia, to St Helens, Tasmania, with the type locality in Shark Bay; [1] it spawns in the Swan River estuary from late spring to the start of autumn. [4] It is also found in Indonesia. [1] They can be seen drifting on sand flats. [5]
The fish is an ambush predator, altering its skin colouring by "arranging [its] pigments within chromatophores" ( A.J. Hirst, 2014) [6] and feeds on fish and sometimes large benthic crustaceans. [1]
The species is edible, with the advised range about 42–55 cm (17–22 in), as any size bigger will cause harder and drier meat, and any smaller will contain too low levels of meat. [7] They are protected in Australian waters, where it is illegal to keep specimens under 300mm, which males hardly reach.
The species was not generally considered to be overfished, [4] however in 2022 it was classified as depleted in Tasmania. [8] Concerns had been raised in 2014, [9] leading to changes in Tasmanian size and bag limits in 2015. [8]
A flathead is one of a number of small to medium fish species with notably flat heads, distributed in membership across various genera of the family Platycephalidae. Many species are found in the Indo-Pacific, especially most parts of Australia where they are popular sport and table fish. They inhabit estuaries and the open ocean. Flathead can grow at least 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length and 18 kilograms (40 lb) in weight, with dusky flathead being the biggest, although fish this size are seldom caught.
The Platycephalidae are a family of marine fish, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the popular lionfish, belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes.
Platycephalus is a genus of mostly marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. They are found in the eastern Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.
Platycephalus fuscus, the dusky flathead or black flathead, is a large predatory fish and the largest member of the family Platycephalidae. Dusky flathead are a largely estuarine species and are found in estuaries, estuarine lakes and coastal bays on the east coast of Australia, from Cairns in Queensland to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria. They occur over sand, mud, gravel and seagrass and can inhabit estuarine waters up to the tidal limit.
De Beaufort's flathead, also known as the crocodilefish or giant flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
The crossback stingaree or banded stingaree is a species of stingray in the family Urolophidae. It is endemic to southeastern Australia, mainly off Victoria and Tasmania but also marginally to New South Wales and South Australia. This bottom-dwelling fish generally inhabits sand and reef habitats deeper than 100 m (330 ft) off Victoria, and muddy habitats in shallow bays and estuaries off Tasmania. Befitting its name, the crossback stingaree has a distinctive dark pattern on its back, consisting of a midline stripe that is crossed by three transverse bars. It has an oval pectoral fin disc with a blunt snout and a skirt-shaped curtain of skin between the nostrils. Its tail is short with no skin fold along the sides, and a deep, leaf-shaped caudal fin. The youngest rays may have a small dorsal fin in front of the stinging tail spine. This species reaches 50 cm (20 in) in length.
The sand whiting, also known as the summer whiting, yellowfin whiting or blue-nose whiting, is a common species of coastal marine fish of the family Sillaginidae, the smelt-whitings. It is a slender, slightly compressed fish that is very similar to other species of Sillago, with detailed spine, ray and lateral line scale counts needed to distinguish the species between its nearest relative Sillago analis. The sand whiting is distributed along the east coast of Australia from Cape York south to Tasmania, as well as Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean.
The Black bream, also commonly known as the southern black bream, southern bream and blue-nosed bream, is a species of anadromous ray-finned fish of the porgy family Sparidae. A deep-bodied fish, it is occasionally confused with other similar species that occur within its range, but is generally distinguished from these species by a lack of yellow ventral and anal fins. Southern black bream are endemic to the southern coasts of Australia from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Ulladulla, New South Wales, as well as Tasmania.
The bartail flathead, also known as the Indian flathead, gobi or Indo-Pacific flathead, is a species of largely marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is found in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean, and has invaded the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Platycephalus speculator, the southern bluespotted flathead, Castelnau's flathead, deepwater flathead, king flathead, Lakes Entrance flathead, longnose flathead, shovelnose flathead, Southern dusky flathead, Southern flathead or yank flathead, is a common species of flathead. This species is endemic to southern Australia.
The southern velvetfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a velvetfish belonging to the family Aploactinidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Aploactisoma. This species is endemic to the waters around southern and western Australia.
Rogadius is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The Guinea flathead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa. This species is the only known member of the genus Solitas. It is also the only flathead species which has a natural distribution which lies outside of the Indo-Pacific.
Platycephalus laevigatus, the rock flathead, black flathead, grass flathead, king flathead, marbled-bellied flathead, Port Albert flathead, smooth flathead or Southern rock flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is endemic to Australia.
Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus, the bluespotted flathead, drift flathead, Eastern blue-spot flathead, longnose flathead, red flathead, red spotted flathead, sand flathead or yank, is a species of predatory ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. Bluespotted flathead are a marine species and are predominantly found in offshore waters and coastal bays on the east coast of Australia where they are almost exclusively found on marine sand.
Platycephalus bassensis the Southern sand flathead, Bass flathead, bay flathead, common flathead, sand flathead, sandy, sandy flathead, slimy flathead or yanks, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is endemic to Australia.
The crocodile flathead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.
Inegocia japonica, the Japanese flathead, rusty flathead or smooth flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.
The halfspined flathead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is found in the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
The tuberculated flathead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is found in Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.