Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, IX + 11; A, 11; P, 20-22; V, I + 5; LL, 51-56; GR, 5  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body elongated with depressed head. The spiny part of dorsal fin either separate or barely connected with small membrane to the second part. The first dorsal spine short and almost disconnected to the second. Dorsal and anal soft rays membrane deeply incised. Caudal fin round. Pectoral fin thoracic. Large head (2.7-3.3 times in SL) with many bony ridges bearing spines and serration. Large mouth, lower jaw projected with narrow band of small teeth, maxilla with sharp teeth, small teeth on the vomerine and palatine patches. Eyes, dorsally situated, with distinct papilla on the upper surface. Scales ctenoid. color : body light brown greenish to grey with yellowish white belly. Many dark spots and bars on the body and on the fins. size : common 25-50 cm (max. 70 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Platycephalus indicus: more than 65 scales in L.L. (51-56 in P. longiceps). Sorsogona prionota: the first 15-20 L.L. scales bearing small spines. Scorpaenidae: clearly continuous dorsal fin. Triglidae: three lowermost pectoral rays detached. Callionymidae: much smaller species; pointed snout with small mouth; no spiny ridges on the head. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Most of the time buried in the sand, in order to ambush other organisms. Feeds mainly on crustacean and fish. Eggs and larvae pelagic. habitat : sandy bottom usually near coral (in its original area) and rocky to depth of 20 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1990. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Red Sea, eastern Africa south to Durban and Madagascar to the Gulf of Oman. Mediterranean : only a single specimen recorded, Israel (Golani and Ben-Tuvia, 1990). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Golani D. and Ben-Tuvia A., 1990. Two Red Sea flatheads (Platycephalidae) immigrants in the Mediterranean. Cybium, 14:57-61. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: March 2001 ©ciesm 2002