Leopard Flounder, Bothus pantherinus (Rüppell, 1830)
Panther Flounder
Click to enlarge image
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Bothus
- Species
- pantherinus
- Family
- Bothidae
- Order
- Pleuronectiformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- The species grows to 30 cm in length.
Introduction
The Leopard Flounder has a pattern resembling small flowers. The species occurs near coral reefs in of the Indo-West and Central Pacific.
Identification
The Leopard Flounder is brown with a pattern resembling small flowers made up of dark spots surrounded by pale spots. There are also numerous orange spots and usually a singe dark blotch on the straight portion of the lateral line.
© Ian Shaw
Habitat
It is usually found in sand and silt areas associated with coral reefs.
Distribution
The Leopard Flounder is known from the Indo-West and Central Pacific.In Australia it is recorded from south-western Western Australia to north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
