Spotted flathead (Cociella punctata)

Scientific name: Cociella punctata Cuvier, 1829

The Spotted flathead (Cociella punctata) is a marine fish of the family Platycephalidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. Uppermost preopercular spine reaching only about half-way to the opercular margin. Preorbital spine present. Infraorbital ridge usually smooth over anterior 1/2 of eye. Suborbital ridge lacking spines behind eye. Interopercular flap present. Iris lappet simple, semicircular. Numerous small dark spots on back reaching to below the lateral line, more widely scattered posteriorly. Has 5-6 dark bands across the back, but small juveniles may have only a broad saddle crossing the spinous dorsal fin and a narrow one near the rear of the soft dorsal fin.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Cociella punctata
Family: Platycephalidae (Flatheads)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and Flatheads)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 35.0
Common length: 25.0
Depth range: 10–300 m (33–984 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 10 - 300 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: widespread, from the New Hebrides to Papua New Guinea, north to Taiwan, through Indonesia to Thailand, Pakistan, the Red Sea, and South Africa. Replaced by Cociella crocodilus from southern China to Japan and by Cociella hutchinsi in northern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial
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.

Last updated 27 September 2026