To get you in the mood for Halloween, meet our spooky October Fish of the Month - the Pinnate Spadefish, Platax pinnatus!
Survey Regions: The Pinnate Spadefish is found throughout the tropical Pacific, including Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Australia, and north to Japan. Click here to view the species distribution report in the REEF database for the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) region. There have also been a very small number of reports of this species in REEF's South Pacific (SOP) region. Click here to view the SOP database report.
Size: Juvenile Pinnate Spadefish (pictured) are about 5 inches in length, and fully grown they can reach up to 15 inches.
Identifying Features: As juveniles, these fish have a unique coloration. They are black with a bright orange margin around their body and fins. Adults are silvery with a black bar running through the eye and another bar on the midbody. Adults also have a distinctive protrouding snout.
Fun Facts: Often seen around caves and ledges, juvenile Pinnate Spadefish swim with an exaggerated motion and are believed to mimic a poisonous species of flatworm.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the November issue of e-News to see our next Fish of the Month.
Photo by Florent Charpin.