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Midget Flathead Onigocia spinosa (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)
[CAAB 37 296022]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Occurs on the continental shelf and upper slope of northwestern Australia to the Arafura and Timor Seas. Recorded internationally from the Philippines to the South China Sea, and southern Japan. Demersal, to about 250 m.

Size:

Maximum length about 13 cm TL, usually to about 10 cm TL.

Characteristics:

D IX or I,VIII, 11-12 (usually 12); A 11-12; P 20-23 (usually 21 or 22); Llat (pored) 34-42 (usually 37 or 38).

Body elongate. Head large (length 37-42% SL), moderately depressed, with several low, mostly spined, ridges; eyes large (~27-30% HL) with ocular flap; 3-6 preocular spines; mouth with small, sharp teeth; three preopercular spines at angle of preopercle, uppermost longest; interopercular flap absent; total gill rakers on first gill arch 5-6 (usually 5). Scales finely ctenoid dorsally, cycloid ventrally, covering body and most of head behind eyes, not deciduous; oblique scale rows slanting backward above lateral line are about equal to the number of lateral-line scales; 34-42 (usually 37 or 38), anterior 8-15 scales bearing spines. Scale pores of lateral line with 2 openings to the exterior. First dorsal fin spinous with short base, first spine short, 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, and opposite and slightly longer-based than second dorsal fin. Caudal fin truncate to slightly rounded. Pectoral fins moderately small. Pelvic fins long, based below centre of pectoral fins, reaching to about anal fin origin.

Colour:

Head and body tan or brown above, pale below; back crossed by about 3-4 darker bands. Anal fin pale, with a faint submarginal band; anterior half of spinous dorsal fin with brown spots on spines, posterior half of fin brown with yellow flecks, may have dusky blotches forming about 3 horizontal bands; soft dorsal fin with series of brown spots forming horizontal bands; pectoral fins with dark spots forming vertical bands; pelvic fins mostly dark, light distally.

Fisheries:

May be captured incidentally by trawl over soft bottom.

Conservation Status:

None.

Other common names:

Largescaled Spiny Flathead, Spiny Flathead.

Original citation:

Platycephalus spinosus Temminck & Schlegel 1843, Fauna Japonica 1843(2-4): Nagasaki, Japan.

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).

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. & Sakashita, M. (1997) Redescription of a rare flathead, Onigocia grandisquama (Regan, 1908) (Scorpaeniformes: Platycephalidae). Ichth. Res. 4 (2): 119-124.

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.

Knapp, L.W., Imamura, H. & Sakashita, M. (2000) Onigocia bimaculata, a new species of flathead fish (Scorpaeniformes: Platycephalidae) from the Indo-Pacific. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology Special Publication No. 64: 1-10.

Matsubara, K. & Ochiai, A. (1955) A revision of the Japanese fishes of the family Platycephalidae (the flatheads). Memoirs of the College of Agriculture Kyoto University 68: 1-109.

Nakabo, T. (2002) (ed.) Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, English edition. Tokai University Press. Fish. Japan Pict. Keys Species v. 1: 866 pp.

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.