Tripterodon orbis, African spadefish : fisheries, gamefish

Tripterodon orbis Playfair, 1867

African spadefish
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Tripterodon orbis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Tripterodon orbis (African spadefish)
Tripterodon orbis
Picture by Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Muscat

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

Teleostei (teleosts) > Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) > Ephippidae (Spadefishes, batfishes and scats)
Etymology: Tripterodon: Greek, tres tria = three + Greek, pteron = wing, fin + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).

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

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 40 - 70 m (Ref. 123860). Tropical

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Indian Ocean: southern Africa to Algoa Bay, South Africa; to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including India and Sri Lanka.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 75.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19 - 21; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15 - 17. Silvery brown; with dark crossbands that disappear with growth (Ref. 5327).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits coastal waters around reefs (Ref. 30573). Feeds on rock and coral-dwelling organisms (Ref. 5213). Flesh edible (Ref. 12484).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Smith, M.M., 1986. Ephippidae. p. 605-607. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 5327)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |