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{{Short description|Family of fishes}}
{{Short description|Family of ray-finned fishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Fringe-Lipped_Flathead.jpg
| image = Fringe-Lipped_Flathead.jpg
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| authority = [[William John Swainson|Swainson]], 1839<ref name = VDLEF>{{cite journal | author1 = Richard van der Laan | author2 = William N. Eschmeyer | author3 = Ronald Fricke | name-list-style = amp | year = 2014 | title = Family-group names of Recent fishes | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268078514 | journal = Zootaxa | volume = 3882 | issue = 2 | pages = 001–230 | doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 | pmid = 25543675 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
| authority = [[William John Swainson|Swainson]], 1839<ref name = VDLEF>{{cite journal | author1 = Richard van der Laan | author2 = William N. Eschmeyer | author3 = Ronald Fricke | name-list-style = amp | year = 2014 | title = Family-group names of Recent fishes | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268078514 | journal = Zootaxa | volume = 3882 | issue = 2 | pages = 001–230 | doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 | pmid = 25543675 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =see text
| subdivision = [[#Genera|See text]]
| subdivision_ref = <ref name=CofF/>
}}
}}
⚫
[[File:Unidentified flathead at Gilli Banta.JPG|thumb|left|250px|A ''Platycephalidae'' buried in the sand ([[Komodo (island)|Komodo]], [[Indonesia]])]]


The '''Platycephalidae''' are a [[Family (biology)|family]] of marine [[fish]], most commonly referred to as '''flatheads'''. They are relatives of the popular [[Scorpaenidae|lionfish]], belonging to the order [[Scorpaeniformes]].
The '''Platycephalidae''' are a [[Family (biology)|family]] of marine [[ray-finned fish]], most commonly referred to as '''flatheads'''. They are relatives of the [[lionfish]], and belong to the order [[Perciformes]].


==Taxonomy==
==Taxonomy==
Platycephalidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the English naturalist William John Swainson.<ref name = VDLEF/> The 5th edition of ''[[Fishes of the World]]'' classifies this family within the [[suborder]] [[Platycephaloidei]] in the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Scorpaeniformes]].<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=[[Joseph S. Nelson|J. S. Nelson]] |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages= 467–495 |publisher=Wiley |ISBN= 978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ }}</ref> Other authorities differ and do not consider the Scorpaeniformes to be a valid order because the [[Perciformes]] is not [[monophyletic]] without the taxa within the Scorpaeniformes being included within it. These authorities consider the Platycephalidae to belong to the [[suborder]] [[Platycephaloidei]], along with the families [[Bembridae]], [[Parabembras|Parabembridae]], [[Hoplichthys|Hoplichthyidae]] and [[Plectrogeniinae|Plectrogeniidae]] within the Perciformes.<ref name = Deepfin>{{cite journal | author1 = Ricardo Betancur-R | author2 = Edward O. Wiley | author3 = Gloria Arratia | author4 = Arturo Acero | author5 = Nicolas Bailly | author6 = Masaki Miya | author7 = Guillaume Lecointre | author8 = Guillermo Ortí | display-authors = 3 | title =Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes | journal = BMC Evolutionary Biology | volume = 17 | issue = 162 | year = 2017 | doi = 10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3 | pmc = 5501477}}</ref>
Platycephalidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the English naturalist [[William John Swainson]].<ref name = VDLEF/> The 5th edition of ''[[Fishes of the World]]'' classifies this family within the [[suborder]] [[Platycephaloidei]] in the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Scorpaeniformes]].<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=[[Joseph S. Nelson|J. S. Nelson]] |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages= 467–495 |publisher=Wiley |isbn= 978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ }}</ref> Other authorities differ and do not consider the Scorpaeniformes to be a valid order because the [[Perciformes]] is not [[monophyletic]] without the taxa within the Scorpaeniformes being included within it. These authorities consider the Platycephalidae to belong to the [[suborder]] [[Platycephaloidei]], along with the families [[Bembridae]], [[Parabembras|Parabembridae]], [[Hoplichthys|Hoplichthyidae]] and [[Plectrogeniinae|Plectrogeniidae]] within the Perciformes.<ref name = Deepfin>{{cite journal | author1 = Ricardo Betancur-R | author2 = Edward O. Wiley | author3 = Gloria Arratia | author4 = Arturo Acero | author5 = Nicolas Bailly | author6 = Masaki Miya | author7 = Guillaume Lecointre | author8 = Guillermo Ortí | display-authors = 3 | title =Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes | journal = BMC Evolutionary Biology | volume = 17 | issue = 162 | year = 2017 | page = 162 | doi = 10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3 | pmid = 28683774 | pmc = 5501477 | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2017BMCEE..17..162B }}</ref>


===Genera===
===Genera===
Platycephalidae has the following genera classified within it:<ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase family|family=Platycephalidae|month=February|year=2022}}</ref><ref name=CofF>{{Cof family|family=Platycephalidae|access-date=2 July 2022}}</ref>
Platycephalidae has the following 17 genera (including about 86 species) classified within it:<ref name=CofF>{{Cof family|family=Platycephalidae|access-date=2 July 2022}}</ref>


{{Linked genus list
* ''[[Ambiserrula jugosa|Ambiserrula]]'' <small>[[Hisashi Imamura|Imamura]], 1996</small>
| Ambiserrula | [[Hisashi Imamura|Imamura]], 1996 (monotypic)
* ''[[Cociella]]'' <small>[[Gilbert Percy Whitley|Whitley]], 1940</small>
| Cociella | [[Gilbert Percy Whitley|Whitley]], 1940 (6 species)
* ''[[Cymbacephalus]]'' <small>[[Henry Weed Fowler|Fowler]], 1938</small>
| Cymbacephalus | [[Henry Weed Fowler|Fowler]], 1938 (4 species)
* ''[[Elates ransonnettii|Elates]]'' <small>[[David Starr Jordan|D.S. Jordan]] & [[Alvin Seale|Seale]] 1907</small>
| Elates | [[David Starr Jordan|D. S. Jordan]] & [[Alvin Seale|Seale]], 1907 (monospecific)
* ''[[Grammoplites]]'' <small>Fowler, 1904</small>
| Grammoplites | Fowler, 1904 (4 species)
⚫
* ''[[Inegocia]]'' <small>D.S. Jordan & [[William Francis Thompson|W.F. Thompson]], 1913</small>
* ''[[Insidiator]]'' <small>D.S. Jordan & [[John Otterbein Snyder|Snyder]], 1900</small>
| Inegocia | D. S. Jordan & W. F.Thompson, 1913 (3 species)
| Insidiator | D. S. Jordan & Snyder, 1900 (3 species)
* ''[[Kumococius rodericensis|Kumococius]]'' <small>Matsubara & Ochiai, 1955</small>
| Kumococius | [[Kiyomatsu Matsubara|Matsubara]]
* ''[[Leviprora inops|Leviprora]]'' <small>Whitley, 1931</small>
& [[Akira Ochiai|Ochiai]], 1955 (monospecific)
* ''[[Onigocia]]'' <small>D.S. Jordan & W.F. Thompson, 1913</small>
| Leviprora | Whitley, 1931 (2 species)
⚫
* ''[[Papilloculiceps]]'' <small>Fowler & [[Heinz Steinitz|Steinitz]], 1956</small>
⚫
| Onigocia | D. S. Jordan & [[William Francis Thompson (biologist)|W. F. Thompson]], 1913 (9 species)
⚫
* ''[[Platycephalus]]'' <small>[[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]], 1795</small>
⚫
| Papilloculiceps | Fowler & [[Heinz Steinitz|Steinitz]], 1956 (monotypic)
⚫
* ''[[Ratabulus]]'' <small>D.S. Jordan & [[Carl Leavitt Hubbs|Hubbs]], 1925</small>
⚫
| Platycephalus | [[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]], 1795 (19 species)
⚫
* ''[[Rogadius]]'' <small>D.S. Jordan & [[Robert Earl Richardson|R.E. Richardson]], 1908</small>
⚫
| Ratabulus | D. S. Jordan & [[Carl Leavitt Hubbs|Hubbs]], 1925 (10 species)
* ''[[Solitas gruveli|Solitas]]'' <small>Imamura, 1996</small>
⚫
| Rogadius | D. S. Jordan & [[Robert Earl Richardson|Richardson]], 1908 (7 species)
* ''[[Suggrundus]]'' <small>Whitley, 1930</small>
* ''[[Sunagocia]]'' <small>Imamura, 2003</small>
| Solitas | Imamura, 1996 (monotypic)
| Sunagocia | Imamura, 2003 (5 species)
* ''[[Thysanophrys]]'' <small>[[James Douglas Ogilby|Ogilby]], 1898</small>
| Thysanophrys | [[James Douglas Ogilby|Ogilby]], 1898 (10 species)
}}
Platycephalidae has been divided into as many as 5 [[subfamilies]] by some authors but Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies but does state that some authors recognise two subfamilies.<ref name = Nelson5/> The two subfamilies are Platycephalalinae, containing ''Elates'' and ''Platycephalus'', and Onigociinae, containing the remaining genera.<ref name = Inamura1996>{{cite journal |author = Hisashi Inamura| year = 1996 |title = Phylogeny of the Family Platycephalidae and Related Taxa (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes) | journal = Species Diversity | volume = 1 | issue = 2 | pages = 123–233 | doi = 10.12782/specdiv.1.123 | url = https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/specdiv/1/2/1_KJ00003742648/_pdf}}</ref> These two groupings are thought to have become divergent in the [[Eocene]] with the Platycephalinae being predominantly temperate and Onigociinae, being predominantly tropical. The basal Platycephalinae species are confined to southern Australia and the more derived taxa have diversified in the tropical Indo-West Pacific.<ref name = Puckridge2019>{{cite journal | author1 = Melody Puckridge | author2 =Peter R. Last | author3 =Daniel C. Gledhill | author4 = Nikos Andreakis | year = 2019 | title = From the tropics to the pole and back again: Radiation in the flathead fishes (Platycephalidae) across Australia and the Indo-West Pacific | journal = Journal of Biogeography | volume = 46 | issue = 4 | pages = 680–693 | doi = 10.1111/jbi.13484| bibcode =2019JBiog..46..680P }}</ref>

The genus ''[[Sorsogona]]'' is recognised by [[FishBase|Fishbase]] but, apparently, it does not include the [[type species]], ''Sorsogona serrulata'', as a species within it.<ref name = FishbaseSorsogona>{{FishBase genus|genus=Sorsogona|month=February|year=2022}}</ref> ''[[Catalog of Fishes]]'' treats this genus as a [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonym]] of ''[[Rogadius]]'' but classifies all the species in ''[[Ratabulus]]'', including the type species, which it treats as a synonym of ''[[Ratabulus tuberculatus]]''.<ref name = CofF3>{{Cof family | family = Platycephalidae | access-date = 20 July 2020}}</ref><ref name = CofF2>{{Cof genus | genus = Sorsogona | access-date = 20 July 2022}}</ref>


===Etymology===
===Etymology===
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==Description==
==Description==
⚫
Platycephalids are small to medium-sized fish. Most species are small, reaching an average of 10&nbsp;cm in length. However, a few species in the genus ''[[Platycephalus]]'' are known to grow up to over a {{cvt|1|m}} in length.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=IMAMURA|first1=HISASHI|title=Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus ''Platycephalus'' Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species|journal=Zootaxa|date=6 January 2015|volume=3904|issue=2|pages=151–207|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.1|pmid=25660779 }}</ref> Their most distinctive characteristic is the flattened shape of their heads. While the rest of their bodies is shaped similarly to other fish that inhabit the areas they frequent, their heads are triangle-shaped and dorsoventrally depressed, giving them the shape of a trowel or an artist's spatula.<ref name=EoF/> Their eyes are situated on the upper surface, in accordance with their bottom-dwelling lifestyle. They possess two complete [[dorsal fin]]s, the first one supported by six to 9 strong spines.
⚫
[[Image:Fringe-Lipped Flathead, Kavieng, Papua New Guinea.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A ''Platycephalid'' in Papua New Guinea]]
⚫
Platycephalids are small to medium-sized fish. Most species are small, reaching an average of 10&nbsp;cm in length. However, a few species in the genus ''[[Platycephalus]]'' are known to grow up to a meter in length.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=IMAMURA|first1=HISASHI|title=Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus ''Platycephalus'' Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species|journal=Zootaxa|date=6 January 2015|volume=3904|issue=2|pages=151–207|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.1|pmid=25660779 }}</ref> Their most distinctive characteristic is the flattened shape of their heads. While the rest of their bodies is shaped similarly to other fish that inhabit the areas they frequent, their heads are triangle-shaped and dorsoventrally depressed, giving them the shape of a trowel or an artist's spatula.<ref name=EoF/> Their eyes are situated on the upper surface, in accordance with their bottom-dwelling lifestyle. They possess two complete [[dorsal fin]]s, the first one supported by six to 9 strong spines.


{{Gallery
⚫
[[Image:Plattkopf.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A ''platycephalid'']]
⚫
| File:Unidentified flathead at Gilli Banta.JPG|A platycephalid buried in the sand ([[Komodo (island)|Komodo]], [[Indonesia]])
⚫
| File:Fringe-Lipped Flathead, Kavieng, Papua New Guinea.jpg|A platycephalid in Papua New Guinea
⚫
| File:Plattkopf.jpg|A platycephalid swimming
⚫
| File:Papilloculiceps longiceps 2 by Marek Jakubowski.jpg|''Papilloculiceps longiceps''
⚫
| File:duskyflat.jpg|''Platycephalus fuscus''
}}


==Distribution and habitat==
==Distribution and habitat==
Line 52: Line 62:
Flatheads are mostly marine [[demersal]] fish, often resting directly on the [[seabed]], sometimes partially buried in sand or mud. They can be found in a wide range of depths, ranging from 10 m to the edge of the continental shelf at depths of about {{convert|300|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.|author= Eschmeyer, William N.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|isbn= 0-12-547665-5|page= 177}}</ref>
Flatheads are mostly marine [[demersal]] fish, often resting directly on the [[seabed]], sometimes partially buried in sand or mud. They can be found in a wide range of depths, ranging from 10 m to the edge of the continental shelf at depths of about {{convert|300|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.|author= Eschmeyer, William N.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|isbn= 0-12-547665-5|page= 177}}</ref>


Flatheads are [[Carnivore|carnivorous]], feeding on small fish and [[crustaceans]]. They lie in wait buried by sand, with only their eyes poking out from the substrate. When prospective prey walks or swims close to the platycephalid's head, the flathead strikes rapidly, engulfing the prey in its large mouth. As flatheads are [[ambush predator]]s they are expected to be relatively sedentary and not move large distances as adults. However, recent research has shown that part of the population of some flathead species makes long distance movements or spawning migrations.<ref name="Fetterplace">{{cite journal|last1=Fetterplace|first1=Lachlan C.|last2=Davis|first2=Andrew R.|last3=Neilson|first3=Joseph M.|last4=Taylor|first4=Matthew D.|last5=Knott|first5=Nathan A.|title=Active acoustic tracking suggests that soft sediment fishes can show site attachment: a preliminary assessment of the movement patterns of the blue-spotted flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus)|journal=Animal Biotelemetry|date=28 July 2016|volume=4|issue=1|doi=10.1186/s40317-016-0107-6|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Hindell">{{cite book|last1=Hindell|first1=Jeremy S.|title=Gippsland Lakes dusky flathead tracking project|url=https://vfa.vic.gov.au/operational-policy/publications-and-resources/fisheries-reports/your-licence-fees-at-work-reports/2003-2008/gippsland-lakes-dusky-flathead-tracking-project|website=vfa.vic.gov.au|date=29 July 2015 |publisher=Victorian Fisheries Authority|accessdate=15 December 2017|isbn=978-1-74208-860-0}}</ref>
Flatheads are [[Carnivore|carnivorous]], feeding on small fish and [[crustaceans]]. They lie in wait buried by sand, with only their eyes poking out from the substrate. When prospective prey walks or swims close to the platycephalid's head, the flathead strikes rapidly, engulfing the prey in its large mouth. As flatheads are [[ambush predator]]s they are expected to be relatively sedentary and not move large distances as adults. However, recent research has shown that part of the population of some flathead species makes long-distance movements or spawning migrations.<ref name="Fetterplace">{{cite journal|last1=Fetterplace|first1=Lachlan C.|last2=Davis|first2=Andrew R.|last3=Neilson|first3=Joseph M.|last4=Taylor|first4=Matthew D.|last5=Knott|first5=Nathan A.|title=Active acoustic tracking suggests that soft sediment fishes can show site attachment: a preliminary assessment of the movement patterns of the blue-spotted flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus)|journal=Animal Biotelemetry|date=28 July 2016|volume=4|issue=1|page=15 |doi=10.1186/s40317-016-0107-6|doi-access=free|bibcode=2016AnBio...4...15F }}</ref><ref name="Hindell">{{cite book|last1=Hindell|first1=Jeremy S.|title=Gippsland Lakes dusky flathead tracking project|url=https://vfa.vic.gov.au/operational-policy/publications-and-resources/fisheries-reports/your-licence-fees-at-work-reports/2003-2008/gippsland-lakes-dusky-flathead-tracking-project|website=vfa.vic.gov.au|date=29 July 2015 |publisher=Victorian Fisheries Authority|access-date=15 December 2017|isbn=978-1-74208-860-0}}</ref>


==Fisheries==
==Fisheries==
Active commercial fisheries are geared towards members of the family. In [[Japan]], some species are the subject of experimental [[aquaculture]] programs. Flatheads are commonly caught on rod and line.<ref name="NSW Fisheries">{{cite journal|last1=Stewart|first1=J|title=STATUS OF FISHERIES RESOURCES IN NSW 2013-14|journal=NSW Fisheries Reports|date=2015|pages=391|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305682912|accessdate=15 December 2017}}</ref> The larger species are considered game fish.
Active commercial fisheries are geared towards members of the family. In [[Japan]], some species are the subject of experimental [[aquaculture]] programs. Flatheads are commonly caught on rod and line.<ref name="NSW Fisheries">{{cite journal|last1=Stewart|first1=J|title=STATUS OF FISHERIES RESOURCES IN NSW 2013-14|journal=NSW Fisheries Reports|date=2015|pages=391|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305682912|access-date=15 December 2017}}</ref> The larger species are considered game fish.

⚫
[[Image:Papilloculiceps longiceps 2 by Marek Jakubowski.jpg|right|thumb|201px|''Papilloculiceps longiceps'']]
⚫
[[Image:duskyflat.jpg|right|thumb|201px|''Platycephalus fuscus'']]


==See also==
==See also==
Line 66: Line 73:
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
* {{ITIS | id = 167131 | taxon = Platycephalidae | accessdate = 21 February 2007 }}
* {{ITIS | id = 167131 | taxon = Platycephalidae | accessdate = 21 February 2007 }}
* {{cite web | last =Myers | first =P. | authorlink = |author2=R. Espinosa |author3=C. S. Parr |author4=T. Jones |author5=G. S. Hammond |author6=T. A. Dewey | title =Platycephalidae | work =Animal Diversity Web | publisher =University of Michigan Museum of Zoology | date =2006 | url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Platycephalidae.html | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}
* {{cite web | last =Myers | first =P. | author-link = |author2=R. Espinosa |author3=C. S. Parr |author4=T. Jones |author5=G. S. Hammond |author6=T. A. Dewey | title =Platycephalidae | work =Animal Diversity Web | publisher =University of Michigan Museum of Zoology | date =2006 | url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Platycephalidae.html | access-date = 2007-02-21 }}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 73: Line 80:


{{Taxonbar|from=Q1072599}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1072599}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Platycephaloidei]]
[[Category:Platycephalidae| ]]
[[Category:Platycephalidae| ]]
[[Category:Fish of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Fish of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Ray-finned fish families]]
[[Category:Perciformes families]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William John Swainson]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William John Swainson]]

Latest revision as of 07:40, 5 November 2024

Platycephalidae
Sunagocia otaitensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Suborder: Platycephaloidei
Family: Platycephalidae
Swainson, 1839[1]
Genera[2]

See text

The Platycephalidae are a family of marine ray-finned fish, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the lionfish, and belong to the order Perciformes.

Taxonomy

[edit]

Platycephalidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the English naturalist William John Swainson.[1] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this family within the suborder Platycephaloidei in the order Scorpaeniformes.[3] Other authorities differ and do not consider the Scorpaeniformes to be a valid order because the Perciformes is not monophyletic without the taxa within the Scorpaeniformes being included within it. These authorities consider the Platycephalidae to belong to the suborder Platycephaloidei, along with the families Bembridae, Parabembridae, Hoplichthyidae and Plectrogeniidae within the Perciformes.[4]

Genera

[edit]

Platycephalidae has the following 17 genera (including about 86 species) classified within it:[2]

Platycephalidae has been divided into as many as 5 subfamilies by some authors but Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies but does state that some authors recognise two subfamilies.[3] The two subfamilies are Platycephalalinae, containing Elates and Platycephalus, and Onigociinae, containing the remaining genera.[5] These two groupings are thought to have become divergent in the Eocene with the Platycephalinae being predominantly temperate and Onigociinae, being predominantly tropical. The basal Platycephalinae species are confined to southern Australia and the more derived taxa have diversified in the tropical Indo-West Pacific.[6]

The genus Sorsogona is recognised by Fishbase but, apparently, it does not include the type species, Sorsogona serrulata, as a species within it.[7] Catalog of Fishes treats this genus as a synonym of Rogadius but classifies all the species in Ratabulus, including the type species, which it treats as a synonym of Ratabulus tuberculatus.[8][9]

Etymology

[edit]

The name of the family is derived from the Greek words platy, meaning "flat", and kephale for "head".[10]

Description

[edit]

Platycephalids are small to medium-sized fish. Most species are small, reaching an average of 10 cm in length. However, a few species in the genus Platycephalus are known to grow up to over a 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length.[11] Their most distinctive characteristic is the flattened shape of their heads. While the rest of their bodies is shaped similarly to other fish that inhabit the areas they frequent, their heads are triangle-shaped and dorsoventrally depressed, giving them the shape of a trowel or an artist's spatula.[12] Their eyes are situated on the upper surface, in accordance with their bottom-dwelling lifestyle. They possess two complete dorsal fins, the first one supported by six to 9 strong spines.

  • A platycephalid buried in the sand (Komodo, Indonesia)
    A platycephalid buried in the sand (Komodo, Indonesia)
  • A platycephalid in Papua New Guinea
    A platycephalid in Papua New Guinea
  • A platycephalid swimming
    A platycephalid swimming
  • Papilloculiceps longiceps
    Papilloculiceps longiceps
  • Platycephalus fuscus
    Platycephalus fuscus

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Platycephalidae can be found naturally in coastal waters throughout the Indo-Pacific.[3] A few species have been caught in the eastern Mediterranean, having traveled there from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.[13]

Biology

[edit]

Flatheads are mostly marine demersal fish, often resting directly on the seabed, sometimes partially buried in sand or mud. They can be found in a wide range of depths, ranging from 10 m to the edge of the continental shelf at depths of about 300 m (980 ft).[12]

Flatheads are carnivorous, feeding on small fish and crustaceans. They lie in wait buried by sand, with only their eyes poking out from the substrate. When prospective prey walks or swims close to the platycephalid's head, the flathead strikes rapidly, engulfing the prey in its large mouth. As flatheads are ambush predators they are expected to be relatively sedentary and not move large distances as adults. However, recent research has shown that part of the population of some flathead species makes long-distance movements or spawning migrations.[14][15]

Fisheries

[edit]

Active commercial fisheries are geared towards members of the family. In Japan, some species are the subject of experimental aquaculture programs. Flatheads are commonly caught on rod and line.[16] The larger species are considered game fish.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 001–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
  2. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Platycephalidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 467–495. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
  4. ^ Ricardo Betancur-R; Edward O. Wiley; Gloria Arratia; et al. (2017). "Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 17 (162): 162. Bibcode:2017BMCEE..17..162B. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3. PMC 5501477. PMID 28683774.
  5. ^ Hisashi Inamura (1996). "Phylogeny of the Family Platycephalidae and Related Taxa (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes)". Species Diversity. 1 (2): 123–233. doi:10.12782/specdiv.1.123.
  6. ^ Melody Puckridge; Peter R. Last; Daniel C. Gledhill; Nikos Andreakis (2019). "From the tropics to the pole and back again: Radiation in the flathead fishes (Platycephalidae) across Australia and the Indo-West Pacific". Journal of Biogeography. 46 (4): 680–693. Bibcode:2019JBiog..46..680P. doi:10.1111/jbi.13484.
  7. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Sorsogona". FishBase. February 2022 version.
  8. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Platycephalidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  9. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Sorsogona". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  10. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (7 December 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 11): Suborder Platycephaloidei: Families Bembridae, Parabembridae, Hoplichthyidae, Platycephalidae and Plectrogeniidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  11. ^ IMAMURA, HISASHI (6 January 2015). "Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species". Zootaxa. 3904 (2): 151–207. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.1. PMID 25660779.
  12. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
  13. ^ Hussein C; Ibrahim A, Alshawy F; Ahmad AA (2021). "First confirmed record of the Bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (L.; 1758) (Actinopterygii:Platycephalidae) in the Syrian marine waters (Eastern Mediterranean)". Species. 22 (69): 161–165.
  14. ^ Fetterplace, Lachlan C.; Davis, Andrew R.; Neilson, Joseph M.; Taylor, Matthew D.; Knott, Nathan A. (28 July 2016). "Active acoustic tracking suggests that soft sediment fishes can show site attachment: a preliminary assessment of the movement patterns of the blue-spotted flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus)". Animal Biotelemetry. 4 (1): 15. Bibcode:2016AnBio...4...15F. doi:10.1186/s40317-016-0107-6.
  15. ^ Hindell, Jeremy S. (29 July 2015). Gippsland Lakes dusky flathead tracking project. Victorian Fisheries Authority. ISBN 978-1-74208-860-0. Retrieved 15 December 2017. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  16. ^ Stewart, J (2015). "STATUS OF FISHERIES RESOURCES IN NSW 2013-14". NSW Fisheries Reports: 391. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
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