The bartail flathead is a fish with a flattened head that lives along Indo-West Pacific coasts. A yellow patch in the middle of the tail helps distinguish it from similar flatheads. No established wild population is documented in U.S. waters.
Appearance
Appearance
Look for a long, low body, eyes on top of the head, and a yellow patch between dark bands on the tail fin.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
Sandy and muddy coastal bottoms
Estuaries
Range
Its documented range includes East Africa, the Red Sea, and coastal parts of Asia as far east as the Philippines. It has also been recorded in the eastern Mediterranean; it is not documented as a wild U.S. fish.
Behavior
Diet
It eats fish and crustaceans on sandy or muddy bottoms.