Description

The Orbicular Batfish or Circular Batfish (Platax Orbicularis), also known as the Orbiculate Batfish, Round Batfish, or Orbic Batfish is a popular aquarium fish which occurs naturally in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The body of Orbicular Batfish or Circular Batfish is almost disc-shaped, and very thin. Its tail, about 20% of the body length, is fan-shaped and is taller than it is long. Males can grow to up to 19.6″ inches in length, though aquarium specimens are generally much shorter.

In the wild, the Orbicular Batfish or Circular Batfish is found in brackish or marine waters, usually around reefs, at depths from 5 to 30 meters. Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa in the east to the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia in the west, and from southern Japan in the north to northern Australia and New Caledonia.

Juvenile fish are solitary or live in small groups, among mangroves or other inner sheltered lagoons. Adults are found in more open waters and at greater depth.