All fish / Scatophagidae

Spotted Scat

Scatophagus argus

Also known as scat, green scat, red scat, ruby scat, argus fish, spotted butterfish, tiger scat, red-spotted scat, leopard scat, ปลาตะกรับ, ikan kitang, kitang

A deep, almost square-looking disc-shaped fish with a silvery green body covered in round dark spots. Red-backed young are sold as red or ruby scats. Keepers like it for its bold, active nature and its huge appetite, and it soon learns to recognise its owner.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Group of 4 or more

Diet

Omnivore: lots of vegetable matter such as algae wafers, spirulina, blanched greens, plus pellets, shrimp and bloodworm

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Brackish

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific coasts, from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to southern China, the Philippines, New Guinea and northern Australia

Breeding

Groups spawn out at sea and release floating eggs, and the larvae go through an armoured tholichthys stage. It has not been bred in home aquariums, although fish farms in Asia now produce some by hormone induction.

Good to know

Juveniles are often sold as freshwater fish, but they need brackish water that gets saltier as they grow, with adults doing best in near-marine conditions. The dorsal and anal fin spines are venomous and give a painful sting, and scats will strip aquarium plants.