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Related FAQs: Batfishes,
Related Articles: Spadefishes,
/Fishwatcher's Guide Series
Spadefishes Found In Indonesia, Family, Ephippidae |
| | Bob Fenner | |
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Platax batavianus Cuvier 1831, the Humpback (science) or Zebra
Batfish. Indo-West Pacific; Madagascar to Indonesia. To twenty
inches in height. Occasionally offered in the trade. Should you be
fortunate to chance upon a specimen Platax batavianus it's a
real striker as young, with alternating black and white banding
covering it's entire body surface. Juvenile pix (three inches tall)
in N. Sulawesi and six inch tall specimen Aquarium image. |  
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Platax boersi Bleeker 1852, Boer's Batfish. Indonesia, New
Guinea, Philippines. To sixteen inches in length. Some sub-adults in
N. Sulawesi and an adult off of Mabul, Malaysia. |  
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Platax orbicularis
(Forsskal, 1775), the Orbiculated, or Round Batfish is the
"ugly-duckling" of the genus as young, being very plain brown and
the least tall as a juvenile. At right, aquarium specimens of a four
inch tall juvenile, a ten inch high sub-adult, a twelve inch
high intermediate off of Queensland, Australia, and one about
sixteen inches tall in N. Sulawesi. |   
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Platax pinnatus (Linnaeus 11758), the Pinnatus, Red-Stripe or
Shaded or Dusky Batfish proves almost impossible to keep alive,
generally refusing all food. This species is secretive in the wild,
found hiding in wrecks and other dark spots, and should be left
there. In my estimation, less than one hundredth of pinnatus bats
live more than a month in captivity. I can hear it now; "Oh Bob, I
know of a guy who kept a pinnatus for years, in low specific
gravity, feeding it banana chips...". There are very few of these
success stories, I'll warrant. the pinnatus, red-stripe or shaded
batfish proves almost impossible to keep alive, generally refusing
all food. This species is secretive in the wild, found hiding in
wrecks and other dark spots, and should be left there. In my
estimation, less than one hundredth of pinnatus bats live more than
a month in captivity. I can hear it now; "Oh Bob, I know of a guy
who kept a pinnatus for years, in low specific gravity, feeding it
banana chips...". There are very few of these success stories, I'll
warrant. Juvenile image on the FAQ's page. Below: a series of ages,
sizes: Two juveniles in captivity (for a short time), sub-adult in
captivity, and an older individual off of Queensland, Australia. |
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