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Rock Flathead Platycephalus laevigatus Cuvier, 1829
[CAAB 37 296006]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

 

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Common in coastal waters of southern Australia from off Greenwell Point (New South Wales) to Geographe Bay (Western Australia), including Tasmania. Demersal on rocky reef, sand and seagrass bottoms in shallow, inshore waters to at least 20 m depth; prefers hard, weedy bottoms or seagrass (Zostera) beds to rest on rather than burying in soft bottoms.

Size:

Maximum length at least 60 cm; maximum weight at least 2 kg.

Food and feeding:

Primarily piscivorous, also large benthic crustaceans. Most active at dusk and night.

Characteristics:

D IX (rarely VIII), 14 or 15; A 14 or 15 (rarely 13); C 15; P 18-21; V I, 5; LLat (pored) 81-92.

Body elongate, slightly depressed. Head small (length 25-28% SL), narrow, slightly depressed, smooth, without ridges; eyes large (19-22% HL), situated well anterior to middle of head, iris lappet single lobed; mouth large with small, pointed teeth in broad band on jaws, no enlarged canines; two moderate-sized preopercular spines at angle of preopercle, lower shorter than upper; 2 gill rakers on lower limb, 7 or 8 on upper limb of first gill arch; interopecular flap present. Scales very small, finely ctenoid, covering body and most of head behind eyes, absent from opecular flap; lateral line nearly straight; lateral line scales subequal to adjacent scales on side, without spines or ridges. First dorsal fin spinous with short base, first spine very short, detached, longest spines subequal to length of second dorsal-fin rays. Second dorsal fin with moderately long base. Anal fin similar in shape, opposite and slightly shorter-based than second dorsal fin. Caudal fin rounded. Pectoral fins of moderate size. Pelvic fins subequal in length to, and based below centre of, pectoral fins. Swim bladder absent.

Colour:

Greenish to pale sandy dorsally, usually with dark vertical bands and a longitudinal stripe mid-laterally (sometimes broken into blotches), or with body covered with moderate-sized spots, marbled in appearance rather than spotted; pale ventrally with fewer markings. Caudal fin yellow with dense dark spots; anal fin plain; other fins spotted along spines or rays. Juveniles with strong pattern of bands and dark bars.

Fisheries:

Taken in small numbers by beach seines and gillnets.

Conservation Status:

None.

Other common names:

Grassy Flathead, King Flathead, Smooth Flathead, Black Flathead, Marbled-bellied Flathead, Port Albert Flathead, Southern Rock Flathead., Rock Flathead.

Original citation:

Platycephalus laevigatus Cuvier, 1829, In Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. nat. Poiss. 4: 248, 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.