CreatureData

Batfish

Platax orbicularis (Forsskål, 1775)

Status not recordedbony fish

The batfish (Platax orbicularis) is a species in the family Ephippidae, order Acanthuriformes.

No freely licensed photo yet

Quick facts about the batfish

Weight
Not recorded
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
Not recorded
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the batfish live?

Not recorded

Is the batfish endangered?

No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.

How is the batfish classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderAcanthuriformes
  5. familyEphippidae
  6. genusPlatax
  7. SpeciesPlatax orbicularis (Forsskål, 1775)

Synonyms Chaetodon albicauda, Chaetodon guttulatus, Chaetodon orbicularis, Chaetodon pentacanthus, Chaetodon vespertilio, Platax albipunctatus, Platax blochii, Platax ehrenbergii, Platax guttulatuas, Platax guttulatus, Platax obricularis, Platax orbicularia, Platax orbicularius, Platax vespertilio

Other names and names in other languages (36)
  • Circular batfishEnglish
  • Circular spadefishEnglish
  • Circular spadefish batfishEnglish
  • Cooper batfishEnglish
  • Narrow-banded batfishEnglish
  • Narrowbanded batfishEnglish
  • Orbicular batfishEnglish
  • Orbiculate batfishEnglish
  • Round bat fishEnglish
  • SicklefishEnglish
  • سمك الخفاش الدائريArabic
  • netopýrník obecnýCzech
  • Almindelig flagermusfiskDanish
  • Rundkopf-FledermausfischGerman
  • DalapugánSpanish
  • Lati ni davetaFijian
  • PapillonFrench
  • Pesce pipistrello brunoItalian
  • ナンヨウツバメウオJapanese
  • 남방제비활치Korean
  • pakareomrv
  • Ronde vleermuisvisDutch
  • MorcegoPortuguese
  • Голубой платаксRussian
  • ปลาหูช้างกลมThai
  • BunakFilipino
  • 圓眼燕魚Chinese
  • Paguala circularSpanish
  • Feuilles de PalétuviersFrench
  • PlataxFrench
  • Platax orbiculaireFrench
  • Platax rondFrench
  • Poisson Chauve-souris OrbiculaireFrench
  • Poule D'eauFrench
  • Tsubame-uoJapanese
  • Peixe-bumerangue-costeiroPortuguese

Catalogue of Life

Relatives of the batfish

Other species in the same genus Platax.

Seabat

Platax pinnatus

EphippidaeNo free photo yet

Batfish

Platax batavianus

EphippidaeNo free photo yet

CompareBatfish vs Tiera batfishBatfish vs SeabatBatfish vs BatfishBatfish vs Golden spadefish

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

What kind of animal is the batfish?

The batfish (Platax orbicularis) belongs to the family Ephippidae in the order Acanthuriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

Embed a card for this animal on your own site

Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.

Preview the card

APA

CreatureData. (2026). Batfish (Platax orbicularis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/platax-orbicularis

MLA

“Batfish (Platax orbicularis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/platax-orbicularis.

BibTeX
@misc{platax_orbicularis_2026,
  title = {Batfish (Platax orbicularis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/platax-orbicularis},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}