Higher classification Platax | Phylum Chordata Scientific name Platax pinnatus Rank Species | |
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Similar Platax, Orbicular batfish, Platax teira, Ephippidae, Platax batavianus | ||
Platax pinnatus, also known as the pinnate batfish, dusky batfish, shaded batfish, or red-faced batfish is a fish from the western Pacific that occasionally is kept in marine aquariums.
Contents
Platax pinnatus free swimming
Description
As a juvenile it is blackish brown, or black with an orange stripe outlining its entire body. Adults become a dull silver. This fish grows to a maximum size of 45 cm (18 in).
In the aquarium
The pinnate batfish is occasionally kept in marine aquariums
In the wild
Platax pinnatus has been observed to significantly reduce algal growths on coral in studies simulating overfishing on the Great Barrier Reef.
References
Platax pinnatus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA