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Deepwater Flathead Platycephalus conatus Waite & McCulloch, 1915
[CAAB 37 296002]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Continental shelf and upper slope of the south coast of Australia from the western edge of Bass Strait to southern Western Australia. Demersal on soft bottoms at depths of 70-490 m.

Size:

Maximum length at least 94 cm (usually 45-65 cm); maximum weight 4 kg (usually 0.7-1.0 kg).

Food and feeding:

Primarily piscivorous, also large benthic crustaceans.

Characteristics:

D IX (rarely VIII), 14 or 15; A 14 or 15 (rarely 13); C 15; P 20-22 (rarely 18 or 19); V I, 5; Llat (pored) 70-86.

Body elongate, slightly depressed. Head large (length 32-34% SL), depressed, with several low, mostly spineless, low ridges; eyes large (20-24% HL) with broad iris lappet; mouth large with greatly enlarged canines on jaws, palatines and vomer; two strong preopercular spines at angle of preopercle, lower much larger than upper; gill rakers on lower limb of first arch rudimentary, stumpy on outer gill arch, 1 or 2 on upper limb, 7-10 on lower limb. Scales small, finely ctenoid, covering body and most of head behind eyes; lateral line scales subequal to adjacent scales on side, ~78-82 oblique rows of scales above lateral line. First dorsal fin spinous with short base, first spine very short, detached, following spines much longer. Second dorsal fin with moderately long base, anterior rays longest, slightly shorter than longest first dorsal spines. Anal fin similar in shape, opposite and slightly longer-based than second dorsal fin. Caudal fin emarginated to truncate. Pectoral fins moderately small. Pelvic fins long, based below centre of pectoral fins. Swim bladder present.

Colour:

Greenish to purplish grey dorsally, often with faint grey blotches laterally; pale ventrally; large dark blotch inside operculum. Second dorsal fin with faint brown longitudinal stripes; caudal fine grey with broad, slightly darker areas near base and distally, lowermost ray white; pelvic fins uniform grey.

Fisheries:

Taken exclusively by commercial trawlers operating in offshore waters where it is the dominant flathead species in the Great Australian Bight.

Other common names:

Flathead, Trawl Flathead.

Original citation:

Platycephalus (Neoplatycephalus) conatus Waite & McCulloch, 1915, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 39: 446, pl. 12, figs. 1-3 and 5, Great Australian Bight.

References:

Eschmeyer, W.N. (2008) The Catalogue of Fishes on-line. (California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco) Available from: http://www.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp (15 March, 2008).

Gomon, M.F., Glover, J.C.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (1994) The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide, 992 pp.

Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. (2006) Fishes. In: P.L. Beesley & A. Wells (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia Volume 35. Parts 1-3. Australian Biological Resources Study and CSIRO Publishing, 2248 pp.

Imamura, H. (2006) Rediagnosis of the marbled flathead, Platycephalus marmoratus (Actinopterygii: Teleostei: Platycephalidae), with comments on the composition of the type series. Species Diversity 11: 295-306.

Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Ward, R.D. (2001) Australian Seafood Handbook: an identification guide to domestic species. FRDC / CSIRO Marine Research, 469 pp.