''Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus'', the bluespotted flathead, drift flathead, Eastern blue-spot flathead, longnose flathead, red flathead, red spotted flathead, sand flathead or yank, is a species of predatory
ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...
belonging to the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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.
Bluespotted flathead are a
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
species and are predominantly found in offshore waters and coastal bays on the east coast of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
where they are almost exclusively found on marine sand.
Ecology
Flatheads are notable for their unusual body shape, upon which their hunting strategy is based. Flathead are dorsally compressed, meaning their body is wide but flattened and very low in height. Both eyes are on the top of the flattened head, giving excellent binocular vision to attack overhead prey. The effect is somewhat similar to
flounder
Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuaries.
Taxonomy
The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related species, thou ...
. In contrast to flounder however, flathead are much more elongated, the tail remains vertical, and the mouth is large, wide and symmetrical. Bluespotted flathead use this body structure to hide in sand (their body colour changes to match their background), with only their eyes visible. While it has not been observed, it is thought that like other flathead species, the bluespotted flathead uses this camouflage to ambush small prey species. The species can also be an active swimmer and will actively chase prey without resorting to ambush.
The bluespotted flathead can be distinguished from other flathead by its scattered blue spots, elongated dark blotches on the tail which become larger from the top of tail to the bottom. The lower preopercular spine is distinctly longer than the upper.
Bluespotted flathead are commonly encountered on marine sands in south-eastern Australia and are rarely found in other habitats.
They reach up to 68 cm in length and it is thought that both males and females reach this maximum size.
Fishing
Both commercial and recreational fishers target bluespotted flathead.
Often they are confused by fishers with the numerous other species of flathead caught in the same areas.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2607992
Marine fish of Eastern Australia
caeruleopunctatus
Fish described in 1922