Animal Species:Marbled Flathead, Platycephalus marmoratus Stead, 1908

The Marbled Flathead has an elongate body covered with small ctenoid scales. The species lives in marine waters on sandy or rubbly bottoms.

Juvenile Marbled Flathead at Gordon's Bay

Juvenile Marbled Flathead at Gordon's Bay
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

Identification

The Marbled Flathead has an elongate body covered with small ctenoid scales. Its colouration is variable but adults usually have white borders to the caudal, anal and ventral fins, and a distinctive marbled pattern dorsally.

Distribution

The Marbled Flathead is recorded from south-eastern Australia.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

tycephalus marmoratus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Marbled Flathead specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Habitat

The species lives in marine waters on sandy or rubbly bottoms. Adults live at depths between 20 m and 80 m, but juveniles are commonly found in water as shallow as 3 m.

Classification

Species:
marmoratus
Genus:
Platycephalus
Family:
Platycephalidae
Order:
Scorpaeniformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
  2. Imamura, H. & L.W. Knapp. 2009. Platycephalus orbitalis, a new species of flathead (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) collected from western Australia. Zootaxa. 2271: 57–63.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.

 


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Marbled Flathead, Platycephalus marmoratus, Platycephalidae, elongate, ctenoid scales, marine, sandy bottom, rubble bottom, white borders, marbled pattern,