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Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads) > Platycephalidae (Flatheads)
Etymology: Platycephalus: Greek, platys = flat + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335). More on author: Cuvier.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 1 - 100 m (Ref. 9563). Temperate, preferred ?; 30°S - 43°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: known only from southern Australia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - 22 cm
Max length : 46.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9563); max. published weight: 3.1 kg (Ref. 6390)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 18 - 20. This species differs from Platycephalus westraliae in having the following characters: both second dorsal and anal fin rays usually 14 (vs. 13), total gill rakers 18-20 (vs. 10); palatine with a tooth band comprised of several irregular rows of conical teeth (vs. with an inner larger conical and an outer smaller villiform tooth rows); caudal fin with several small pale brown spots on the upper lobe and one or two large dark brown or black spots on the lower lobe, and with concave posterior margin (vs. with 3 dark bands and with mostly straight posterior margin) (Ref. 86914).

Inhabit coastal waters from shallow bays and inlets to depths of about 100 m over sand, shell grit and mud substrates (Ref. 6390). Sand flathead are usually solitary but may form loose aggregations (Ref. 2165, 27247). They sometimes move long distances (Ref. 6390). They are active foragers and ambush predators (Ref. 6390). They are also occasional scavengers (Ref. 6390). Feed on crustaceans and fish (Ref. 2165).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley, 1989. Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p. (Ref. 7300)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Not Evaluated

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial

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Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00513 (0.00390 - 0.00674), b=3.05 (2.97 - 3.13), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.3 ±0.75 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.19; tmax=9).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): High.

Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier, 1829