Scientific Name
Cociella crocodilus

Common Name
Crocodile flathead

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11. Brownish with small dark spots on upper body; usually with 4-5 dark brown bands crosses back; spiny dorsal with broad black band near edge and small black spots below, other fins darkly spotted (Ref. 4315).

Classification

Classified By

Cuvier, 1829

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Scorpionfishes and Flatheads (Scorpaeniformes)

Family

Flatheads (Platycephalidae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-West Pacific

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Solomon Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia (Ref. 3476).

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

100 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range ? - 100 m (Ref. 3476)

Trophic Level

3.86 s.e. 0.60 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

50.0 cm

Common Length

40.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5312 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (37 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated