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Yellowtail Flathead Platycephalus endrachtensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825
[CAAB 37 296020]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Coastal, estuarine and on the continental shelf of northern Australia from Fremantle (Western Australia) to Brisbane (Queensland); also recorded from New Guinea and Java (Indonesia); distribution details need to be closely examined due to its confusion with P. indicus. Demersal on soft bottoms in coastal and estuarine waters to depths of at least 30 m.

Size:

Maximum length at least 42 cm TL.

Food and feeding:

Primarily piscivorous, also large benthic crustaceans.

Characteristics:

D I, I, VI, I or I, VII, I or I, I, VII, I, 12 or 13; A 13 or 14; P 18-20 (usually 19 or 20); V I, 5; Llat (pored) 67-81.

Body elongate, slightly depressed. Head large (length 31-35% SL), strongly depressed, almost smooth, with several low, spineless ridges and one small preocular spine, lower edge bicarinate; eyes small (12-14% HL), iris lappet a simple elongated lobe; mouth large, reaching to level of mid-eye; teeth stout and acute, no greatly enlarged canines, teeth on vomer in a single transverse band; two strong preopercular spines at angle of preopercle, lower usually longer than upper, accessory spine usually absent on base of upper spine; 9-13 (usually 10 or 11) gill rakers on first gill arch; interopercular flap present, finger-like. Scales small, finely ctenoid dorsally, cycloid ventrally, covering body and most of dorsal head; lateral line scales subequal to adjacent scales on side, ~93-109 oblique rows of scales above lateral line, anteriormost one or two scales with a small spine or ridge, a single opening on each scale. First dorsal fin spinous with short base, first and last spines very short and separated from others. Second dorsal fin with moderately long base, anterior rays longest, nearly as long as longest first dorsal spines. Anal fin similar in shape, opposite and slightly longer-based than second dorsal fin. Caudal fin truncate. Pectoral fins moderately small. Pelvic fins long, based below centre of pectoral fins.

Colour:

Brown to fawn dorsally with numerous small brown flecks, sometimes with several indistinct dark brown bands across back; whitish ventrally; lower opercular flap with brown spots. Caudal fin whitish, with 3 or 4 horizontal dark, wedge-shaped bars and a prominent bright yellow blotch on upper margin; dorsal and paired fins with small brown spots on rays.

Fisheries:

Taken by angling and seines in shallow coastal waters and estuaries and by trawls over soft bottoms in shallow waters.

Conservation Status:

None.

Other common names:

Bar-tail Flathead, Bar-tailed Flathead, Western Estuary Flathead, Yellowtailed Flathead, Yellow-tailed Flathead, Flagtail Flathead.

Original citation:

Platycephalus endrachtensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825, Voyage Uranie, Zool. 1825: 353, Shark Bay, Western Australia.

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).

Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. (1984) Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwestern Australia. Canberra: Australian Development Assistance Bureau, 406 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.

Knapp, L.W. (1999) Family Platycephalidae, flatheads, pp. 2385-2421. In: K.E. Carpenter & V.H. Niem (eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4: Bony Fishes Part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.C. (1985) Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-western Australia. Canberra, C.S.I.R.O. Division of Fisheries Research, 375 pp.