The
orbicular batfish (
Platax orbicularis) is a species of marine
ray-finned fish belonging to the family
Ephippidae, the spadefishes and batfishes. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from eastern Africa (including South Africa and Madagascar) eastwards to southern Japan and Australia, and in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The species has also been recorded outside its native range in the western Atlantic Ocean. It inhabits shallow, protected coastal waters, including mangroves, coral reefs, and deeper areas with silty substrates. Juveniles typically shelter among mangrove roots and in protected lagoons. The orbicular batfish has a deep, highly compressed, round body, and adults can grow to more than 40 centimetres (16 in) in length. Larger individuals develop a slightly indented snout and a bony intraorbital protuberance. Adults are silvery grey in colour, with black vertical bars running through the eye and across the base of the pectoral fin. The dorsal and anal fins are yellowish with black margins. This orbicular batfish was photographed in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt.
Photograph credit: Diego Delso
%2C_mar_Rojo%2C_Egipto%2C_2023-04-19%2C_DD_01.jpg)
