Bigtooth Flathead, Platycephalus chauliodous Knapp 1991
Bigtooth Flathead, Platycephalus chauliodous Knapp 1991
More Info
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Distribution |
Endemic to coastal and inshore waters of southwest Australia from Cape Freycinet to north of Rottnest Island. Demersal on soft bottoms and near rocky reefs in 0-50 m (usually <10 m) depth. |
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Features |
D 0-I, VII, I, 14 or 15; A 13 or 14; (usually 13); C 10 or 11 (usually 11); P 19 or 20; V I, 5; Llat (pored) 59-65. Body elongate, slightly depressed. Head large (length ~32% SL), depressed, with several low, mostly spineless ridges, lower side slightly bicarinate; eyes small (~11% HL), round, mouth large, extending to about level with anterior margin of eye; jaws, vomer and palatines with enlarged canines (becoming smaller anteriorly on jaws), vomer crescent-like; two strong, similar-sized preopercular spines at angle of preopercle; first gill arch with 2 gill rakers on upper limb, 9 or 10 on lower limb. Scales small, finely ctenoid, covering body and nape, top of head naked; 90-100 oblique rows of scales above lateral line, lacking spines, a single pore opening. |
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Size |
Maximum length at least 47 cm. |
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Colour |
Reddish brown dorsally with dark spots; sides yellowish brown with dark brown spots; ventrally white, cheeks bright yellow. Dorsal fins hyaline with brownish pink spots on rays and spines; caudal fin rays reddish brown with hyaline connections; pectoral fins with reddish brown spots superiorly, orange brown spots inferiorly; pelvic fins orange brown with 8 or 9 brownish green cross bars; anal fin white with orange spots on rays. |
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Feeding |
Presumably primarily piscivorous, also large benthic crustaceans. |
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Fisheries |
Infrequently taken from shallow coastal reefs. |
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Conservation |
Not evaluated. |
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Species Citation |
Platycephalus chauliodous Knapp, 1991, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 104(1): 23-29. Type locality: Cockburn Sound, 1/2 kilometer south of Carnac Island, Western Australia, depth 6-7 m.p> |
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Author |
CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research |
Bigtooth Flathead, Platycephalus chauliodous Knapp 1991
References
Eschmeyer, W.N. (2008) The Catalog of Fishes on-line. (California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco) Available from: http://www.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp (15 March, 2008).
Hutchins, B. & Swainston, R. (1986) Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Swainston Publishing, Perth. 179 pp.
Imamura, H. 1996. Phylogeny of the family Platycephalidae and related taxa (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes). Species Diversity 1(2): 123-233.
Imamura, H. & L.W. Knapp. 2009. Platycephalus orbitalis, a new species of flathead (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) collected from western Australia. Zootaxa 2271: 57-63.
Knapp, L.W. (1991) Platycephalus chauliodous, a new flathead fish from the eastern Indian Ocean (Teleostei: Platycephalidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 104(1): 23-29. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/108199#page/9/mode/1up
Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, J.E. Gates & D.J. Bray. 2006. Platycephalidae (pp. 933-948). In: P.L. Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells (eds.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. Parts 1-3. Australian Biological Resources Study and CSIRO Publishing, 2248 pp.