Batfish

Batfish
	Longfin Batfish ( Platax teira )
Systematics
	Acanthomorphata
	Spinefish (Acanthopterygii)
	Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae)
Order :	Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes)
Family :	Spade fish (Ephippidae)
Genre :	Batfish
Scientific name
	Platax
	Cuvier , 1816

Batfish ( Platax ) are native to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea . The young animals prefer to stay near reefs. Adult batfish, on the other hand, can also be found in the open sea.

Appearance

They have a flat body, a small mouth with small, bristle-like teeth, and small scales. They are characterized by dark vertical bands over the eyes and side fins. The young animals differ from the adults in their imposingly extended ventral, dorsal and anal fins.

Diet and Behavior

The diet of the batfish consists mainly of worms, crabs and jellyfish.

Batfish are very curious. They have been seen more frequently swimming after divers and nibbling on their equipment or fingers. They also like to try to catch the air bubbles rising from divers.

Little is known about the reproduction of the animals.

species

Batavia batfish ( Platax batavianus ), juvenile

Batavia batfish ( Platax batavianus )
Boers batfish ( Platax boersi )
Round-headed batfish ( Platax orbicularis )
Red-framed batfish ( Platax pinnatus )
Long-fin batfish ( Platax teira )

Fossil record

Fossil a bat fish ( Platax altissimus ), from Monte Bolca , Italy; in the Natural History Museum Vienna

Two fossil batfish, Eoplatax papilio and Platax altissimus , are known from the Middle Eocene of the northern Italian Monte Bolca Formation, which arose from Tethys deposits .

Others

See young Batfish with her to scalars reminiscent high fins very attractive and are sometimes used as ornamental fish for saltwater aquarium sold. However, they grow very quickly, the colors fade, and the elegant tall fins disappear. Due to the size of adult animals (usually up to 40 cm, in exceptional cases up to 60 cm), bat fish are not suitable for private aquarium keeping, but imposing animals for large, public show and zoo aquariums.

literature

Hans A. Baensch / Robert A. Patzner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 7 Perciformes (perch-like) , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-107-0

Individual evidence

^ Karl Albert Frickhinger: Fossil Atlas Fish , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, 1999, ISBN 3-88244-018-X
^ Arno Hermann Müller: Textbook of Palaeozoology. Volume III, Vertebrates, Part 1.Page 371, Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1985

Web links

Commons : Batfish - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Platax on Fishbase.org (English)

[1] Karl Albert Frickhinger: Fossil Atlas Fish , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, 1999, ISBN 3-88244-018-X

[2] Arno Hermann Müller: Textbook of Palaeozoology. Volume III, Vertebrates, Part 1.Page 371, Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1985