Platycephalus laevigatus Cuvier, 1829

Body and Head Shape

Platycephalus laevigatus has a slightly flattened, elongated body with a small, also slightly flattened smooth head that lacks ridges.

Eye Features

Its large eyes are placed well forward on the head, and each eye has a single, lobed lappet.

Mouth and Teeth

The species has a large mouth that holds small pointed teeth arranged in a band along the jaws, with no enlarged canine-like teeth.

Preoperculum Spines

Two moderately sized spines are located at the angle of the preoperculum, with the upper spine being the longer of the two.

First Dorsal Fin

The first dorsal fin has a short base, and holds 8 to 9 spines, most often 9; the first spine is very small and separated from the rest.

Second Dorsal and Anal Fins

Both the second dorsal fin and the anal fin have relatively long bases: the second dorsal fin has 14 or 15 soft rays, while the anal fin has 13 to 15 soft rays.

Caudal Fin Shape

The caudal fin is rounded.

Body Base Coloration

The background body colour of Platycephalus laevigatus ranges from greenish to pale brown, with darker bars crossing the back.

Flank and Tail Markings

A broken stripe runs along the middle of the flanks, and the tail is yellow with dark spots.

Pattern Variation

Some individual specimens may have spots or marbled patterning.

Maximum Length

The maximum published total length for this species is 50 cm (20 in).

Species Endemism

Platycephalus laevigatus is endemic to Australia.

Geographical Range

It can be found from Greenwell Point in New South Wales to Geographe Bay in Western Australia, and its range also extends around Tasmania.

Depth and Habitat

This species lives in coastal waters down to at least 20 m (66 ft), where it occurs on rocky reefs, sandy areas, and seagrass beds.