Fish o’ the day | Orbicular Batfish

Posted by gerard on October 30, 2008 under Saltwater Fish | Be the First to Comment

The Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis) is a popular aquarium fish endemic to tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Its body is almost disc-shaped, and very thin; the tail, about 20% of the body length, is fan-shaped and taller than it is long. Males can grow to up to 50cm in length, though aquarium specimens are generally much shorter. In the wild, the Orbicular Batfish is found in brackish or marine waters, usually around reefs, at depths from 5 to 30 metres. Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa in the east to the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia in the west, and from southern Japan in the north to northern Australia and New Caledonia. It has been recorded off the coast of Florida, though this may be the result of dumping of aquarium specimens.

Juvenile fish are solitary or live in small groups, among mangroves or other inner sheltered lagoons. Adults are found in more open waters and at greater depth.

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