Cockatoo Flounder

Body on ocular side brownish with darker spots and blotches; a series of blotches along dorsal and ventral body margins; elongated anterior dorsal-fin rays white, remainder of dorsal fin, anal fin, and caudal fin brown; pectoral fin dark. Blind side of body whitish. First 12-15 (rarely 10-11) dorsal- fin rays greatly elongated. Pectoral fin on blind side absent or rudimentary. Pelvic fin on eyed side elongated. Caudal fin with 16 unbranched rays and rounded margin.Description: Characterized further by having ctenoid scales on eyed side, weakly ctenoid to cycloid on blind side; eyes close together; depth of body 2.5-3.0 in SL (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 73 - 78; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 49 - 60

Inhabits sand bottoms (Ref. 3132). Feeds on benthic animals.

Inhabits silty sand or mud bottoms (Ref. 3132, 48637). Feeds on benthic animals (Ref. 9792). Flicks the long dorsal filaments on the front of the head when alarmed, looking just like the sticky threads that are produced by a holothurian when handled (ref. 48637).

fisheries: commercial

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起印度洋，東至台灣，南至新加勒多尼亞。台灣主要分布於西南部及澎湖海域。

經濟性魚類，油煎味美。

體橢圓形，側扁；兩眼均在右側；兩眼幾乎相接或僅隔一鱗片寬。頭大，背緣較凸，腹緣較圓。吻鈍圓。口小，上頜達眼前緣下方；齒小呈絨毛狀，鋤骨無齒。鰓耙不發達。眼側被櫛鱗，鱗小而圓，盲側被圓鱗或弱櫛鱗，吻、下頜和眼睛上緣裸露。背鰭起點在眼前，前方數鰭條延長為絲狀；臀鰭正常；眼側胸鰭發達，胸、臀鰭起點幾相等，軟條數4；腹鰭基起點在前鰓蓋之前，腹鰭基延長，前方數鰭條延長；尾鰭圓形。體灰褐色，幼魚則體色多變，或為較淺，或較深色，成魚則佈滿黑褐點，背鰭前部白色，基部為灰黑色，後半背鰭和臀鰭褐色，邊緣具白點和黑點，胸、尾鰭黑褐色；盲側淺黃色。

沿岸底棲性魚類，較常出現於砂泥底質，有時也會在礁沙岸出現。以底棲魚類及無脊椎動物為食。

Inhabits sand bottoms (Ref. 3132). Feeds on benthic animals (Ref. 9792)