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Crocodilefish

Fish · Least Concern

Crocodilefish

Papilloculiceps longiceps

About

The tentacled flathead (Papilloculiceps longiceps), also called the Indian Ocean crocodilefish, Madagascar flathead or longhead flathead, is a marine ray-finned fish in the flathead family Platycephalidae. It occurs in the western Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea, and has spread into the Mediterranean as a Lessepsian migrant through the Suez Canal. It is the only species in its genus, Papilloculiceps.

Family
Platycephalidae
Avg size
70-100 cm
Habitat
The tentacled flathead ranges across the western Indian Ocean, from northern KwaZulu-Natal and Madagascar up to the northern Red Sea. It has also entered the Mediterranean, where it was first reported off Israel in 1986 after probably migrating through the Suez Canal. It lives near coral reefs over sand or rubble bottoms at depths between 1 and 15 m (about 3 to 49 ft).
Behaviour
The tentacled flathead is a well-camouflaged ambush predator that preys on fish and crustaceans.

Where & when

Where & When to See It

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