Platycephalidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Osteichthyes
Classis: Actinopterygii
Subclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Ordo: Scorpaeniformes
Subordo: Platycephaloidei
Familia: Platycephalidae
Genera: Ambiserrula - Cociella - Cymbacephalus - Elates - Grammoplites - Inegocia - Kumococius - Leviprora - Onigocia - Papilloculiceps - Platycephalus - Ratabulus - Rogadius - Solitas - Sorsogona - Suggrundus - Sunagocia - Thysanophrys

References

* Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2006. FishBase, version (02/2006). [1]

Vernacular names
Internationalization
Česky: Zploštělcovití

Platycephalidae is a family of marine fishes, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the popular lionfishes, belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes.

Members of the family can be found naturally in coastal waters throughout the Indo-Pacific. A few species have been caught in the eastern Mediterranean, having traveled there from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.

Description

Platycephalids are small-to-medium-sized fishes. Most species are small, reaching an average of 10 cm in length. However, a few species in the genus Platycephalus are known to grow up to a meter in length. Their most distinctive characteristic is the flattened shape of their heads. While the rest of their body is shaped similarly to other fishes that inhabit the areas they frequent, their heads are triangularly-shaped and dorso-ventrally depressed, giving them the shape of a trowel or an artist's spatula.[1] Their eyes are situated on the upper surface, in accordance with their bottom-dwelling lifestyle. They possess two complete dorsal fins, the first one supported by six-to-nine strong spines.
A Platycephalid.

Flatheads are mostly marine. They are demersal fishes, often resting directly on the seabed, sometimes partially-buried in sand or mud. They can be found in a wide range of depths, ranging from depths of 10 meters to the edge of the continental shelf at depths of about 300 metres (980 ft).[1]

Flatheads are carnivorous, feeding on small fishes and crustaceans. They lie in wait buried by sand, with only their eyes poking out from the substrate. When prospective prey walks or swims close to the platycephalid's head, the flathead strikes rapidly, engulfing the prey in its large mouth.

There are active commercial fisheries geared towards members of the family, especially in eastern countries. In Japan, some species are the subject of experimental aquaculture programs. Flatheads are occasionally caught on rod and line and the larger species are considered game fish.

The name of the family is derived from the Greek words platy, meaning "flat", and kephale for "head".

Species

There are currently 68 known species within 19 genera in the family:

Family Platcephalidae

* Genus Ambiserrula
o Ambiserrula jugosa McCulloch, 1914. A small member of the family endemic to Australia.
* Genus Cociella
o Cociella crocodila
o Cociella heemstrai
o Cociella hutchinsi
o Cociella punctata
o Cociella somaliensis
* Genus Cymbacephalus
o Cymbacephalus beauforti
o Cymbacephalus bosschei
o Cymbacephalus nematophthalmus
o Cymbacephalus staigeri
* Genus Elates
o Elates ransonnetii
* Genus Eurycephalus
o Eurycephalus arenicola
o Eurycephalus carbunculus
* Genus Grammoplites
o Grammoplites knappi
o Grammoplites scaber
o Grammoplites suppositus
* Genus Inegocia
o Inegocia guttata
o Inegocia harrisii
o Inegocia japonica
* Genus Kumococius
o Kumococius rodericensis
* Genus Leviprora
o Leviprora inops
* Genus Onigocia
o Onigocia bimaculata
o Onigocia grandisquamis
o Onigocia macrolepis
o Onigocia oligolepis
o Onigocia pedimacula
o Onigocia spinosa
* Genus Papilloculiceps
o Papilloculiceps longiceps
* Genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1795. Type genus.
o Platycephalus arenarius
o Platycephalus aurimaculatus
o Platycephalus bassensis
o Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus
o Platycephalus chauliodous
o Platycephalus conatus
o Platycephalus cultellatus
o Platycephalus endrachtensis
o Platycephalus fuscus
o Platycephalus indicus Linnaeus, 1758. Type species. Synonymous with P. spathula.
o Platycephalus laevigatus
o Platycephalus longispinis
o Platycephalus marmoratus
o Platycephalus micracanthus
o Platycephalus richardsoni
o Platycephalus speculator
* Genus Ratabulus
o Ratabulus diversidens
o Ratabulus megacephalus
* Genus Rogadius
o Rogadius asper
o Rogadius mcgroutheri[2]
o Rogadius melanopterus
o Rogadius nigripinnis
o Rogadius patriciae
o Rogadius portuguesus
o Rogadius pristiger
o Rogadius serratus
o Rogadius welanderi
* Genus Solitas
o Solitas gruveli
* Genus Sorsogona
o Sorsogona prionota
o Sorsogona tuberculata
* Genus Suggrundus
o Suggrundus cooperi
o Suggrundus macracanthus
o Suggrundus meerdervoortii
* Genus Sunagocia
o Sunagocia otaitensis
* Genus Thysanophrys
o Thysanophrys armata
o Thysanophrys celebica
o Thysanophrys chiltonae
o Thysanophrys cirronasa
o Thysanophrys longirostris
o Thysanophrys papillaris

References

1. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
2. ^ Imamura (2007). "Rogadius mcgroutheri , a new species of flathead (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) collected from eastern Australia and New Caledonia". Ichthyological Research 54 (3): 303–307. doi:10.1007/s10228-007-0405-3.

* Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Platycephalidae" in FishBase. January 2007 version.
* "Platycephalidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=167131. Retrieved 21 February 2007.
* Myers, P.; R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. (2006). "Platycephalidae" (html). Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Platycephalidae.html. Retrieved 2007-02-21.