Platax teira

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.

Longfin batfish
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

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. They will change colour from silvery white with no bands, to brown with darker banding as you watch, and then fade back to silver again.

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.[2] 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).[3]

Long-fin Batfish (Platax teira) in transitional stage between juvenile and adult.

They are known to reside among floating seaweed, debris, and artificial reefs.[4]

Habitat

The species occurs in shallow coastal habitats to deeper offshore.[2]

Diet

Platax teira is an omnivore. It will eat plankton, sessile invertebrates, small invertebrates, and marine algae.[5]

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".[5]

References
  1. Carpenter, K.E. & Robertson, R. 2019. Platax teira. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T54007396A54023123. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T54007396A54023123.en. Downloaded on 21 December 2020.
  2. "Roundface Batfish, Platax teira Forsskål, 1775 - Australian Museum".
  3. 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.
  4. Ketabi, Ramin. "Platax teira". Aquatic Commons. Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute.
  5. "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.

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