Ninespine Batfish

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).

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27 - 29; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 20 - 22

Inhabits coastal reefs. Often occurs ion silt-sand bottoms of coastal trawling ground in 10-40 m (Ref. 90102).

The ninespine batfish (Zabidius novemaculeatus), or short-finned batfish, is a species of batfish native to coral reefs around Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia at depths of from 10 to 40 metres (33 to 131 ft). This species grows to a length of 45 centimetres (18 in) TL and has been known to reach a weight of 0.8 kilograms (1.8 lb). This species is the only known member of the genus Zabidius.