Platax teira
| Platax teira | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Acanthuroidei |
| Family: | Ephippidae |
| Genus: | Platax |
| Species: | P. teira |
| Binomial name | |
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Platax teira (Forsskål, 1775) |
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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.
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.
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. 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).
The species occurs in shallow coastal habitats to deeper offshore.
Platax teira is an omnivore. It will eat plankton, sessile invertebrates, small invertebrates, and marine algae.
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. 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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