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Southern Sand Flathead Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier, 1829
[CAAB 37 296003]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Continental shelf of southeastern Australia from off Red Rock (New South Wales) to Lancelin (Western Australia), including Tasmania; common in Victoria and Tasmania, but rarely found in Western Australia. Demersal on sand bottoms in shallow coastal bays to depths of ~100 m.

Size:

Maximum length at least 55 cm TL; maximum weight at least 1.3 kg.

Food and feeding:

Primarily piscivorous, also large benthic crustaceans.

Characteristics:

D VIII-IX, 13 or 14; A 14; C 15; P 19 or 20 (rarely 18 or 21); V I, 5; Llat (pored) 71-82.

Body elongate, slightly depressed. Head large (length 29-31% SL), depressed, with two strong bony ridges behind eye; eyes moderately large (16-23% HL) with small iris lappet; mouth large with small pointed teeth on jaws, in a broad patch on vomer and a narrow band on palatines, no enlarged canines; two strong preopercular spines at angle of preopercle, lower about twice length of upper; gill rakers on lower limb of first arch long and slender; interopercular flap absent. Scales small, finely ctenoid, covering body and most of head behind eyes; lateral line scales slightly larger than adjacent scales on side, ~100 oblique rows of scales above lateral line, anteriormost one or two scales with small spine or ridge. 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, subequal in length to 4^th or 5^th first dorsal fin 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. Swim bladder absent.

Colour:

Sandy brown dorsally with discrete, widely-space, reddish brown flecks, dark blotches sometimes along midline of sides, indistinct dark brown bands posteriorly; pale to whitish ventrally. Caudal-fin lower half white with one (sometimes 2) large, blackish blotches posteriorly which are sometimes broken into segments by pale rays, upper half with large brownish blotches; other fins with small dusky to dark spots.

Fisheries:

Taken in moderate numbers by commercial trawlers and Danish seiners offshore and also by gillnet, beach seine and hook and line inshore. Important angling fish in Victoria and Tasmania.

Conservation Status:

None.

Other common names:

Slimy Flathead, Bay Flathead, Common Flathead, Sandy, Sand Flathead, Yanks, Bass Flathead.

Original citation:

Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier, 1829, In Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. nat. Poiss. 4: 247, Western Port, Victoria.

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.

Hutchins, B. & Swainston, R. (1986) Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Swainston Publishing, Perth. 179 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.