All fish / Ephippidae

Orbiculate Batfish

Platax orbicularis

Also known as orbic batfish, round batfish, circular batfish, orbicular batfish, orbiculate spadefish, round faced batfish, batfish, ปลาค้างคาว, ikan kelawar, ナンヨウツバメウオ, ikan kelelawar, platak

Juveniles are brown and leaf shaped with tall fins, drifting like a dead mangrove leaf, while adults become tall silvery discs with dark vertical bars. They are kept for their calm nature, unusual shape and the way they learn to recognise their keeper.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

40 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1500 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a group of similar sized batfish in a very large tank

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, krill, chopped seafood, marine pellets and algae based foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the western Pacific

Breeding

It is a pelagic spawner with drifting eggs and larvae, and it has not been bred reliably in home aquariums. Trade fish are wild caught or come from rare commercial efforts.

Good to know

It grows fast and can reach 50 cm long and even taller, so it needs a very large, deep tank. Its long fins attract nipping fish, and it may eat soft corals and invertebrates, so it is not reef safe.