The name of the genus, Platycephalus is derived from the Greek words for "flat" and "head". This quite literally describes the major morphological distinguishing characteristic of the members of the genus (and the family).
Centropomus undecimalis was originally described as Platycephalus undecimalis. It has since been recognized as being a perciform fish belonging in the family Centropomidae.
Species
There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus: