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Olive-tail Flathead Rogadius asper (Cuvier, 1829)
[CAAB 37 296024]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Continental shelf of northern Australia, from the North West Shelf, Western Australia east to Cape York. Possibly occurring on the Barrier Reef, distribution details need to be closely examined due to confusion with R. pristiger. Recorded from the Indo-west Pacific including southern Japan, East China Sea and the Philippines. Demersal in bays and coastal waters to depths of about 160 m.

Size:

To at least 160 mm SL.

Characteristics:

D IX, 10-11; A 11; P 21-23.

Body elongate, moderately depressed. Head large, moderately depressed, lower side of head unicarinate; occipital ridge not serrated, bearing 4 spines; ocular flap absent. Teeth on jaws sharp and low; teeth on vomer in two parallel longitudinal bands; preopercular spines 4-5, uppermost longest, grading in size ventrally and ending with a strong antrorse spine. Interopercular flap absent. 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 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 small.

Colour:

Body and head light brown dorsally, 3 or 4 brown bands crossing back, nape white; paler below. Outer half of spinous dorsal fin black; soft dorsal fin with 4-6 series of brown checks. Anal fin whitish. Caudal fin cream, olive basally, olive centrally, dusky olive distally with white margin, with 3-5 irregular dark bands, or a basal dark band and randomly arranged dark spots posteriorly; pectoral fin faintly barred; pelvic fin crossed by 2-3 broken, broad, dark bars, whitish distally.

Fisheries:

May be taken in trawls.

Conservation Status:

None.

Other common names:

None.

Original citation:

Platycephalus asper Cuvier, in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1829, Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. 4: 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.

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.

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

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.