The Teira Batfish (Platax teira) can be instantly recognised by the dark blotch below the pectoral fin, and a second elongated dark mark above the origin of the anal fin. From a side view, the body is quite circular with a low hump on the nape.
The Teira Batfish has a silver, grey or brownish coloring with a dark band through the eye and another parallel with the pectoral fin.
Juvenile Teira Batfish have very long dorsal and anal fins that become relatively shorter as the fish grows. Bat fish can grow to a maximum length of 60 centimetres
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Where in the World Do Teira Batfish Live?
The Teira Batfish lives mainly in the tropical Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is found in shallow coastal and deeper offshore habitats off the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the southern coast of New South Wales.
Teira Batfish inhabit various marine environments such as lagoons, external reef slopes, and channels, often seen in deeper waters. They prefer areas with clear water and are frequently observed around coral and rocky reefs. Juvenile Teira Batfish can often be found in mangroves and other sheltered inner reef habitats.
Four species of Batfish have been recorded in Australian waters.
What Do Teira Bat Fish Eat?
The Platax teira, or Teira Batfish, eats a variety of things like plankton, tiny sea creatures, and marine plants. When they’re tiny, they hang out in groups among floating debris in the water. As they grow bigger, they love to swim around more freely and often gather in big groups under large floating seaweed, especially after rainy seasons.
