Platax teira

Platax teira
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Acanthuroidei
Family: Ephippidae
Genus: Platax
Species: P. teira
Binomial name
Platax teira
(Forsskål, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Chaetodon teira Forsskål, 1775

Platax teira, also known as the teira batfish, longfin batfish, longfin spadefish, or round faced batfish is a fish from the Indo-West Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 60 cm (24 in) in length.

Description

Platax teira
In Prague sea aquarium

Platax teira has a dark blotch under the pectoral fin, with another long dark mark above the base of the anal fin. Looked at from the side, it has a roughly circular body with a low hump on the nape. This fish is usually silver, grey or brownish. It has a blackish band through the eye and another band with the pectoral fin.

Distribution

In Australia it can be found from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the southern coast of New South Wales.[1] In India it was reported from the Gulf of Mannar. It has also been discovered as an invasive species off the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey (in 2006) and Israel (in 2010).[2]

Habitat

The species occurs in shallow coastal habitats to deeper offshore.[1]

Diet

Platax teira is an omnivore. It will eat plankton, sessile invertebrates, small invertebrates, and marine algae.[3]

In the aquarium

They are a very peaceful and social fish and will form schools with others of their species. They should not be kept with very aggressive species that may harass them as juveniles. Teira batfish are usually rather small when first purchased, but they will rapidly outgrow a small home aquarium to reach a maximum size of 24".[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Roundface Batfish, Platax teira Forsskål, 1775 - Australian Museum".
  2. Daniel Golani; Oren Sonin & Dor Edelist (2011). "Second records of the Lessepsian fish migrants Priacanthus sagittarius and Platax teira and distribution extension of Tylerius spinosissimus in the Mediterranean". Aquatic Invasions. 6 (1, supplement): s7–s11. doi:10.3391/ai.2011.6.S1.002.
  3. 1 2 "Teira Batfish, (Platax teira) Species Profile, Teira Batfish, (Platax teira) Hobbyist Guide, Teira Batfish, (Platax teira) Care Instructions, Teira Batfish care, Feeding and more.  :: Aquarium Domain.com". AquariumDomain.

3. Marimuthu, N., J.J. Wilson and A.K. Kumaraguru, 2005. Teira batfish, Platax teira (Forsskal, 1775) in Pudhumadam coastal waters, drifted due to the tsunami of 26 December 2004. Current Science 89(8):1310-1312.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Platax teira.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.