Skip to content

Celebes Flathead Thysanophrys celebica (Bleeker, 1854)
[CAAB 37 296044]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Continental shelf of Queensland, Australia from Moreton Bay northward to around Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Recorded internationally from South Africa to Persian Gulf, Sri Lanka, southern India, Gulf of Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan Province of China, Philippines, Celebes, Irian Barat, Arafura Sea and the Solomon Islands. Demersal on sandy substrate in bays and coastal waters to depths of about 40 m.

Size:

Maximum length 15 cm TL, commonly about 10 cm TL.

Characteristics:

D IX, VIII, or I,VII (usually I,VII), 12; A 12 or 13 (usually 13); P 18-20 (usually 19); V I, 5; Llat 50-53 (usually 51 or 52).

Body elongate, slightly depressed. Head large (length ~38% SL), moderately depressed; supraorbital ridge with spines throughout; suborbital ridge with 8 to 10 spines. Preorbital spines 2 or 3; preocular spine l; eyes large (~22-24% HL) with a single small unbranched papilla on posterior half of dorsal surface of eye; villiform teeth in jaws, on vomer in 2 separate patches, and in elongate bands on palatines; preopercular spines 3, upper longest, not reaching half-way to opercular margin, accessory spine present on base, base of lower opercular spine concealed by scales; interopercular flap absent; gill rakers on first arch 5-7 (usually 5 or 6). Scales ctenoid dorsally, mainly cycloid ventrally; lateral line scales slightly smaller than adjacent scales on side. Oblique scale rows slanting downward above lateral line about equal to number of lateral-line scales. Lateral-line scales 50-53 (usually 51 or 52), anterior 2-6 lateral-line scales bearing a small spine. First dorsal fin spinous with short base, first spine about half length of second, third longest. 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 rounded. Pectoral fins moderate in length. Pelvic fins long, based below centre of pectoral fins, extending beyond origin of anal fin.

Colour:

Brownish or greenish dorsally, whitish below, 4 or 5 dark bands across back; head with a narrow dark band posteriorly and a dark bar below eye. Caudal fin with a dark band basally, followed by a clear band and 4 dark narrow bands on distal part of fin; pectoral and pelvic fins with numerous dark spots.

Fisheries:

Taken by trawls and divers over sandy bottom.

Conservation Status:

None.

Other common names:

None.

Original citation:

Platycephalus celebicus Bleeker, 1854, Natuurkd. Tijdschr. Neder. Indië 7: Sea of Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

References:

Beaufort, L.F., De & Briggs, J.C. (1962) The Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. XI. Brill, Leiden. 481 pp.

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).

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.

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.