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Platycephalus richardsoni Castelnau, 1872

Tiger flathead
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Platycephalus richardsoni   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Platycephalus richardsoni (Tiger flathead)
Platycephalus richardsoni
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Australia country information

Common names: Deep sea flathead, King flathead, Spiky flathead
Occurrence: endemic
Salinity: marine
Abundance: abundant (always seen in some numbers) | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Importance: commercial | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Aquaculture: never/rarely | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Endemic to Australian waters and are distributed from Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales to Portland in Victoria, including Bass Strait and Tasmania. Very little research has been undertaken on tiger flathead stock structure. Morphometric studies (Ref. 1084) and tagging programs (Ref. 26613) indicate the existence of a single stock, despite regional differences in growth rates and spawning periods. Commercial fishery: The commecial fishing area for tiger flathead extends along the southeastern coast from Crowdy Head to the southern tip of Tasmania. Most of the catch is taken from eastern Bass Strait by demersal otter trawlers and Danish seine vessels. Very few tiger flathead are caught by any other method. Most tiger flathead landed are between 33 cm and 45 cm total length (Ref. 1084). The Danish seine fleet is based at Lakes Entrance in Victoria and restricts its fishing effort mainly to the eastern Bass Strait grounds (Ref. 27205). Otter trawlers catch tiger flathead throughout the commercial fishing area but highest catch rates are recorded between Eden and Flinders Island, including the eastern Bass Strait grounds. Tiger flathead are caught by trawl fishers all year and over a wider depth range than by Danish seine boats. Maximum catch rates are obtained by trawlers in depths between 150 m and 200 m (Ref. 26613, 27203). Tiger flathead are reported in trawl catches from western Victorian waters although it is probably not the dominant flathead species in that area (Ref. 26613). Also reported from Port Phillip Bay (Ref. 125685). Tiger flathead are sold on the domestic market usually as whole fresh fish. Recreational fishery: Tiger flathead are caught by anglers using handlines on inshore grounds in New South Wales and Victoria. Adult tiger flathead are commonly caught by recreational fishers in Tasmanian bays during spring (September-November) (Ref. 26498). The largest tiger flathead recorded by the Australian Anglers Association was a 3 kg caught off the central New South Wales coast. Resource status: As of 1993, separate estimates of sustainable yield for the New South Wales (Ref. 27215) and eastern Bass Strait (Ref. 27216) regions of the tiger flathead fishey gave a total of 2500 t as the maximum sustainable yield for the whole fishery. Catch levels during the 1990s have been close to this estimate, indicating that the resource is fully exploited (Ref. 27203). Once the major trawl species off the eastern Australian coast; the fishery is fully exploited (Ref. 9563).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Tiigerlamepea, 里氏鲬, 理氏新平头鱼, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Scorpaenoidei (Scorpionfishes) > Platycephalidae (Flatheads)
Etymology: Platycephalus: Greek, platys = flat + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Castelnau.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 10 - 400 m (Ref. 26613), usually ? - 200 m (Ref. 26613).   Subtropical; 30°S - 44°S, 134°E - 154°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southwest Pacific: known only from Coffs Harbor in northern New South Wales to Portland in Victoria, including Bass Strait and Tasmania.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 36 - ? cm
Max length : 65.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6390); max. published weight: 3.0 kg (Ref. 6390); max. reported age: 12 years (Ref. 27203)

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found in inshore waters over the continental shelf. Sometimes entering coastal bays (Ref. 9563). Tiger flathead are not active fish and will normally rest on the sea bed during the day in areas of mud and sand substrate (Ref. 6390). They may migrate into the water column at night following prey species (Ref. 27197). Adults feed mainly on small fish such as silversides and three-spined cardinal fish (Ref. 27193) while juveniles feed primarily on crustaceans including krill. The young inhabit shallow waters of the continental shelf and move into the outer shelf zone as they reach maturity (Ref. 6390). Its fin spines are venomous and can inflict mild to severe pain (Ref. 125684).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley, 1989. Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p. (Ref. 7300)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Venomous (Ref. 125685)




Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 12.6 - 18.2, mean 14.9 (based on 139 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00525 (0.00246 - 0.01120), b=3.04 (2.85 - 3.23), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.9   ±0.62 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.17-0.38; tm=4-5; tmax=12, Fec=1.5 million).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (39 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.