| Family: |
Samaridae (Crested flounders) |
| Max. size: |
22.3 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 54.1 g |
| Environment: |
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 20 - 114 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, East Africa to New Caledonia, north to Japan and south to Australia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 73-78; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 49-60. 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). |
| Biology: |
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). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 13 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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