Platycephalus

Platycephalus Temporal range: Ypresian to Recent 56–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N [1]
Platycephalus fuscus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Scorpaeniformes
Family:	Platycephalidae
Genus:	Platycephalus Bloch, 1795
Type species
Callionymus indicus Linnaeus, 1758

Platycephalus is a genus of mostly marine, bottom-dwelling fish in the family Platycephalidae.

Etymology and taxonomic history

The name of the genus, Platycephalus is derived from the Greek words for "flat" and "head". This quite literally describes the major morphological distinguishing characteristic of the members of the genus (and the family).

Centropomus undecimalis was originally described as Platycephalus undecimalis. It has since been recognized as being a perciform fish belonging in the family Centropomidae.

Species

There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus:

• Platycephalus angustus Steindachner, 1866 (Steindachner’s flathead) ^[2]
• Platycephalus aurimaculatus L. W. Knapp, 1987 (Toothy flathead)
• Platycephalus australis Imamura, 2015 (Australian bartail flathead) ^[3]
• Platycephalus bassensis G. Cuvier, 1829 (Sand flathead)
• Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus McCulloch, 1922 (Blue-spotted flathead)
• Platycephalus chauliodous L. W. Knapp, 1991 (Big-tooth flathead)
• Platycephalus conatus Waite & McCulloch, 1915 (Deep-water flathead)
• Platycephalus cultellatus J. Richardson, 1846
• Platycephalus endrachtensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 (Yellow-tail flathead)
• Platycephalus fuscus G. Cuvier, 1829 (Dusky flathead)
• Platycephalus grandispinis G. Cuvier, 1829 (Long-spined flathead)
• Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Bar-tail flathead)
• Platycephalus laevigatus G. Cuvier, 1829 (Black flathead)
• Platycephalus marmoratus Stead, 1908 (Marbled flathead)
• Platycephalus micracanthus Sauvage, 1873
• Platycephalus orbitalis Imamura & L. W. Knapp, 2009 (Western Australian flathead)
• Platycephalus richardsoni Castelnau, 1872 (Tiger flathead)
• Platycephalus speculator Klunzinger, 1872 (Yank flathead)
• Platycephalus westraliae (Whitley, 1938)

References

1. Sepkoski, J. (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560.
2. Imamura, H (2013). "Redescription of Platycephalus angustus Steindachner 1866 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae), a valid flathead in northern Australia and New Guinea". Ichthyological Research. 60 (2): 112–121. doi:10.1007/s10228-012-0319-6.
3. Imamura, H (2015). "Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1795 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species". Zootaxa. 3904 (2): 151–207. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.1.