Ninespine batfish (Zabidius novemaculeatus)

Scientific name: Zabidius novemaculeatus McCulloch, 1916

Ninespine batfish (Zabidius novemaculeatus)

The Ninespine batfish (Zabidius novemaculeatus) is a marine fish of the family Ephippidae. Native range: Indo-Pacific, Indonesia to northwestern Australia.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-29; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 20 - 22. Silvery, with faint dark horizontal lines between scale rows. Brown band from top of head through eye to chest (fading with growth). Another, less distinct, curved dark bands from nape across operculum and pectoral-fin base to belly. Median fins dusky or pale with dark margins. Body orbicular and strongly compressed, its depth more than twice head length and 1.2 to 1.4 times in SL. Head length 3.1 to 3.6 times in SL. Head profile of adults with a slight bump between eyes. Snout, preopercle flange, and lower jaw naked, rest of head scaly. Jaws with 2 to 4 rows flattened, tricuspid teeth. Small patch of teeth on vomer. Palatines toothless. Five pores on each side of lower jaw. Preopercle with a few rudimentary serrae along its rounded angle. Opercle with a flat spine, and a rounded bone on its upper portion (Ref 43039).

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Zabidius novemaculeatus
Family
Ephippidae (Spadefishes, batfishes and scats)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
45.0
Environment
Marine; reef-associated
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: Indonesia to northwestern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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