Teira Batfish

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Moderate   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 24"
• Minimum Tank Size: 250 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-80° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
• Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Indo-West Pacific
• Family: Ephippidae   • Species: Batfish   • Aquarium Type: FOWLR

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Teira Batfish, also nicknamed Longfin Batfish and Round-faced Batfish, are an extremely peaceful and social marine species that will form schools with others of their kind as they are discovered throughout their natural habitat of the Indo-West Pacific. Juvenile Teira Batfish have relatively long anal and dorsal fins that will become much shorter as the fish matures and fills out to its adult shape. Teira Batfish (Platax teira) are commonly confused with their Orbiculate Batfish (Platax orbicularis) relatives, but can be identified by a dark blotch below their pectoral fins as well as an elongated, dark vertical blotch just before their anal fins.

Although Teira Batfish are usually quite small when initially purchased, they will quickly outgrow a small aquarium and they will reach a maximum size of approximately 2 feet in length. Teira Batfish are mild mannered and will coexist peacefully with their tank mates, but should not be housed with overly aggressive species that may bully them as juveniles.

Teira Batfish require an adequate amount of open swimming space and should be provided with nothing less than a 240 gallon aquarium. They should also be provided with a sandy to crushed-coral substrate and plenty of live rock for shelter and overall system health. As they grow to a large size of 24 inches they will need strong, efficient biological and mechanical filtration with the addition of a quality protein skimmer in order to handle their large biological load on the system and ensure pristine water conditions; it has also been suggested that this species is susceptible to ich and would benefit from a UV sterilizer. Teira Batfish are a very mild mannered fish that will do well with a wide variety of tank mates, but they are not considered to be reef safe (they will sessile invertebrates, e.g.; anemones and coral species) and should be housed within a FOWLR environment.

Teira Batfish are omnivores that will eat plankton, small invertebrates, sessile invertebrates and marine algae in the wild. Their aquarium diet should consist of a variety of live, frozen, or freeze-dried, and vitamin enriched zooplankton, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, chopped krill, ghost shrimp, and other prepared/chopped meaty foods. They can also learn to accept quality Spirulina-based flake foods for omnivores and herbivores. Feed at least 2-3 times a day.