Fun Teira Batfish Facts For Kids

Batfish are disc-shaped triangular looking fish that have laterally compressed bodies. Their large anal fins and dorsal fins become shorter as they grow. From the side, this makes them look triangular. Platax teira, commonly known as the teira batfish or the Longfin Batfish is a round faced batfish. This Indo-Western Pacific Fish has a roughly circular body with a low hump on the nape. These batfish are a flat-sided fish that swim slowly around reefs, sometimes alone and often form schools of 10-20.

This marine species of Batfish play an extremely important role in the biome of the coral reef. These longfin batfish have also been discovered as an invasive species off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and Israel. Adults of this species migrate to new locations in search of food and to breed. The population of batfish is currently threatened by over fishing and destruction of their habitat resulting from trawler fishing methods.

In this article, you will find out about the teira batfish longfin, round faced batfish, teira batfish anal fin, longfin spadefish, teira batfish diet, teira batfish aquarium requirements, and teira batfish platax.

You may also check out our fact files on flounder and arapaima from Kidadl.

What type of animal is a teira batfish?

Teira batfish is a type of fish with flowing fins and a blackish band running through the pectoral fin and eyes. They are found in Australia and the Indo west Pacific region.

What class of animal does a teira batfish belong to?

These marine creatures belong to the Actinopterygii class .

How many teira batfish are there in the world?

There is no accurate estimate of the teira batfish platax population.

Where does a teira batfish live?

The teira batfish live in the ocean. The Platax teira are commonly found in shallow coastal habitats to deeper offshore in shallow protected inner reef. In Australia, the teira batfish are mostly found in Western Australia's central coast. They are also found  around the country's tropical north, as well as New South Wales' southern coasts. In the Indo west Pacific, they are found in the Gulf of Mannar.

What is a teira batfish's habitat?

Batfish longfin are found most often at depths to 65 feet (20 m) in western Australia. These marine creatures inhabit mangrove areas, sea grass meadows, and floating sargassum weed beds. Juveniles of the batfish Platax teira species inhabit shallow inner reefs that are protected. Adults occupy lagoons and seaward reefs upto a depth of 20 m or more. They are commonly encountered near a deep wreck, mainly in the mid-waters above it.

Who do teira batfish live with?

Mostly found in Western Australia, this fish is quite social and can be seen in groups of 10-20 of their own species. They are also spotted swimming with other schools that are not aggressive in nature.

How long does a teira batfish live?

In captivity, the batfish platax teira can live for up to 14 years.

How do they reproduce?

Not much is known about the reproductive activities of these oviparous salt water fish. What is known however, is that they choose the open ocean to spawn instead of doing so in shallower waters. When juveniles grow to a length of around 20 mm, they settle around lagoons or reefs where they can find some protection from predators.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of teira batfish is Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

What do teira batfish look like?

This Indo-West Pacific fish is usually gray, silver, or brownish in color. The teira batfish has eyes with a blackish band running through them. Another band that's blackish as well runs through the pectoral fin. As you watch, they change color from silvery-white to brown with darker banding, and then back to silver again. Its tail covers approximately 20% of the total length of its body. Teira batfish don’t have a well-marked sexual dimorphism, hence distinguishing females from males is not easy. Their flowing fins are what earned them the name of batfish. These fins distract predators from biting its vital parts. The long anal fin and dorsal fin become shorter as they grow.

Juveniles don’t look like adults. They have long dorsal and anal fins that become shorter as the fish matures to fills out into its adult shape. Very small juveniles are brownish and resemble floating leaves. The fins that are long and floppy help them to camouflage as seaweed or other such floating marine debris. Once they are carried away from the reef, they follow the floating debris pieces. Eventually they come in contact with other batfish tiera, form groups, and stay together.

How cute are they?

The teira batfish is a cute fish. Many people prefer them to be in their home aquariums.

How do they communicate?

Little is known about the communication within this species.

How big is a teira batfish?

It grows to a size of 60 cm (24 in) in length.

How fast can a teira batfish swim?

Little is known about their swimming speed.

How much does a teira batfish weigh?

A teira Batfish weigh 5-7 kg (11-15 lb).

What are their male and female names of the species?

Males and females don't have a separate name. They are just referred to as teira batfish.

What would you call a baby teira batfish?

A baby teira batfish is called a larvae.

What do they eat?

Teira batfish are omnivorous fish. They eat plankton, small invertebrates, as well as marine algae in the wild.

Are they eaten by humans?

No. These marine creatures are rarely eaten due to their unappetizing texture.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes. The Platax teira batfish are good pets because of their easy maintenance and mild nature. But they do require a few rules to be followed in terms of the size of the aquarium and types of feed.

The peaceful nature of these longfin batfish is the main reason for them to gain popularity in aquariums. Now, they will outgrow a small home aquarium, so the minimum tank size should be a 240 gallon aquarium. The largest fish within this species is the tall-fin batfish. These fish are kept in aquariums as pets, but most people keeping them aren't able to house them properly when they reach full-size.

They are a very peaceful and social fish, however they should not be kept with very aggressive species that may harass them. Their aquarium diet is recommended to consist of a variety of live, frozen, or freeze-dried food like zooplankton, brine shrimp, krill and other chopped meaty foods like crab and squid. These are offered twice or thrice every day.

Did you know...

Longfin batfish are not strong swimmers. Longfin batfish (Platax teira) is an important finfish species. These timid fish can clean up dense weedy strands. They are capable of recovering coral reefs. According to scientists, batfish represent a 'sleeping functional group', which means they are capable of performing a vital role in the life of the reef, but do so only under exceptional conditions.

Are teira batfish clever?

In captivity, aquarists have found them to be clever fish because they quickly learn feeding times and who feeds them.

Are teira batfish social fish?

Yes, these mild mannered salt water fish are social and highly sought after in the aquarium trade. They are sought after for photographs in the ocean while diving as they form schools with fish species.

Teira batfish are sometimes captured by the sport fishermen, but are not eaten usually due to their unappetizing texture. This particular marine species of batfish are often seen enjoying the surroundings of shipwrecks, floating seaweed, anchored boats and mooring ropes schooling with other species and approaching divers. They are unafraid of divers and often like to investigate them, to follow them around before returning to their group. Platax teira batfish are extremely curious about their surroundings and are not intimidated by divers or camera equipment.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including toadfish, or blobfish.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Teira batfish coloring pages.