Scientific Name
Cociella punctata

Common Name
Spotted flathead

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. Uppermost preopercular spine reaching only about half-way to the opercular margin. Preorbital spine present. Infraorbital ridge usually smooth over anterior 1/2 of eye. Suborbital ridge lacking spines behind eye. Interopercular flap present. Iris lappet simple, semicircular. Numerous small dark spots on back reaching to below the lateral line, more widely scattered posteriorly. Has 5-6 dark bands across the back, but small juveniles may have only a broad saddle crossing the spinous dorsal fin and a narrow one near the rear of the soft dorsal fin (Ref. 37816).

Classification

Classified By

Cuvier, 1829

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Scorpionfishes and Flatheads (Scorpaeniformes)

Family

Flatheads (Platycephalidae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-West Pacific

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: widespread, from the New Hebrides to Papua New Guinea, north to Taiwan, through Indonesia to Thailand, Pakistan, the Red Sea, and South Africa. Replaced by Cociella crocodilus from southern China to Japan and by Cociella hutchinsi in northern Australia (Ref. 37816).

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

10 m

Depth To - meters

300 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 10 - 300 m (Ref. 9790)

Trophic Level

3.86 s.e. 0.64 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

35.0 cm

Common Length

25.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5312 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

Vulnerability

Low to moderate vulnerability (31 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)