Teira Batfish

Platax teira 

Habitat & Distribution :  Indo-West Pacific 

Diet : Zooplankton, algae, worms, and small crustaceans

Size: Plankton, algae, invertabrae 

Lifespan: Up to 70 cm 

Description

Characterized by its disc-shaped body, flattened at the sides with large dorsal and anal fins. Its body is silver, gray, or brownish with dark markings under its pectoral fins and black markings through its eyes and fins. 

Behavior

They are shoalling fish, generally found among floating seaweed in shallow to deep waters. The larger they are, the larger the groups that congregate under the Sargassum seaweed. 

Reproduction

They are batch spawners that release numerous tiny, pelagic eggs into the open water column, typically at night, often coinciding with full moons. 

Predator(s)

Trevally, sharks, groupers and other larger predatory fish