The spotted flathead (''Cociella punctata'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family

Platycephalidae The Platycephalidae are a family of marine fish, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the popular lionfish, belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes. Taxonomy Platycephalidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the E ...

, the flatheads. It is found in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

Taxonomy

The spotted flathead was first formally described in 1829 as ''Platycephalus punctatus'' with its type localities given as Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands and Madagascar. This taxon was previously regarded as a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of the

crocodile flathead The crocodile flathead (''Cociella crocodilus'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy The crocodile flathead was first formally descri ...

(''C. crocodilus'') but was recognised again as a valid species in 1996. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''punctata'', means "spotted", a reference to the small dark reddish brown spots on the head and flanks when preserved in alcohol.

Description

The spotted flathead has 9 spines in the first dorsal fin and 10-12 soft rays on the second dorsal fin with 11 - 12 soft rays in the

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

. The highest spine on the

preoperculum This glossary of ichthyology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in ichthyology, the study of fishes. A B C ...

only extends to around half-way to the margin of the operculum. There is a spine on the preorbital and the infraorbital ridge is typically smooth over the front half of the eye. The suborbital ridge has no spines to the rear of the eye. There is an interopercular flap and the Iris lappet simple and semicircular. There are many small dark spots on back extending to downward past the

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...

, these are less dense to the rear. There are 5-6 dark bands across the back, but in small juveniles there may only be a wide saddle running across the first dorsal fin and a slender saddle near the rear of the second dorsal fin. This species has a maximum published total length of although a total length of is more typical.

Distribution and habitat

The spotted flathead is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from South Africa to the Red Sea east to Vanuatu, north to Taiwan and south to Papua New Guinea. It is replaced by the crocodile flathead in the northwestern Pacific and by the

brownmargin flathead The brownmargin flathead (''Cociella hutchinsi'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found off northern Australia. Taxonomy The brownmargin flathead was first formally described i ...

(''C. hutchinsi'') in Australia. This species is commonly recorded in shallow coastal waters sitting on the seabed at depths between . The juveniles use mangroves and stream mouths as nursery grounds while the adults prefer silty areas.

Fisheries

The spotted flathead is targeted by commercial fisheries but at a small scale.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5017802 Spotted flathead Fish described in 1829