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Blackbanded Flathead Rogadius patriciae Knapp, 1987
[CAAB 37 296008]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Continental shelf of northern Australia, from off Gladstone, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to the North West Shelf, Western Australia. Recorded internationally from New Caledonia, Philippines, Taiwan Province of China, and Ryukyu Islands. Demersal in bays and coastal waters at depths of 14-160 m.

Size:

Maximum total length about 27 cm, commonly to 20 cm.

Characteristics:

D IX or I,VIII, 11-12 (usually 12); A 11-12 (usually 11); P 20-23 (usually 22); V I, 5; Llat (pored) 49-55 (usually 52 or 53).

Body elongate, moderately depressed. Head large (length ~43% SL), moderately depressed, lower side of head unicarinate; supraorbital ridge bearing many fine serrations; preorbital spine lacking, several small serrations present; preocular spine 1; eyes large (~27% HL), ocular flap absent; teeth on jaws low, on palate low, sharp and slightly recurved; teeth on vomer in two parallel longitudinal bands. Preopercular spines 2-5 (usually 3 or 4), uppermost longest, with an accessory spine on its base; antrorse spine short, weak, or absent; gill rakers 1, 5-7; interopercular flap absent. Scales small, finely ctenoid dorsally, cycloid ventrally, covering body and most of head behind eyes; oblique scale rows slanting backward above lateral line about equal to number of lateral-line scales; lateral-line scales 49-55 (usually 52 or 53), anterior 4-11 bearing a spine or ridge. scale pores of lateral line with 2 openings to the outside. First dorsal fin spinous, base almost as long as base of second dorsal fin, first spine very short, attached to second spine by a low membrane, following spines much longer. 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 to slightly rounded. Pectoral fins moderately elongate. Pelvic fins long, reaching to about anal fin origin.

Colour:

Body and head brown dorsally, brown band crossing nape to preopercular spines, another wide band below eye; paler below. Outer half of spinous dorsal fin black; soft dorsal fin with 4-6 series of black checks. Anal fin whitish with dark horizontal band centrally, becoming black posteriorly. Caudal fin white with 2 or 3 elongate longitudinal black bands, upper lobe with oblique black bars and sometimes yellow tinting to white background; pectoral fin fawn with lower half dark olive, margin white; pelvic fins black with outer edge and ray tips white.

Similar species:

None.

Fisheries:

May be taken in trawls.

Conservation Status:

None.

Original citation:

Rogadius patriciae Knapp, 1987, Mem. Natl. Mus. Vict. 48(1): North West Shelf, 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 (10 March, 2008).

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

Imamura, H. (2007) Rogadius mcgroutheri, a new species of flathead (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) collected from eastern Australia and New Caledonia. Ichth. Res. 54: 303-307.

Knapp, L.W. (1987) New Australian fishes. Part 13. Two new species of Platycephalidae. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 48(1): 53-55.

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.