Ammodytidae
Black-edged fin sandlance
Bleekeria nigrilinea
FISH SPECIES
Flat-bodied Fish
Compare fish with laterally compressed, dorsoventrally depressed or asymmetrical body plans across habitats.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDEFlat FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
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01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
Flattened body forms represent two distinct evolutionary paths: laterally compressed forms engineered for agility in narrow vertical spaces, and dorsoventrally depressed or asymmetrical forms specialized for living flush against the ocean floor.
- 01Laterally compressed maneuvering
- 02Dorsoventrally flattened resting
- 03Benthic sediment concealment
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
Laterally compressed fishes like butterflyfishes and batfishes orient vertically to dart through intricate reef branches, using broad median fins to execute instantaneous, low-radius pivot turns. In stark contrast, depressed rays and asymmetrical flatfishes bury beneath sediment with only elevated eyes exposed, remaining completely motionless until striking passing prey from underneath.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Zero-radius turns in structural cover
- Sediment concealment with raised eyes
- Undulatory pectoral propulsion on bottoms
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
Black-edged fin sandlance
Gobiidae
Black-faced reefgoby
Priolepis melanops
Pomacentridae
Black-headed chromis
Chromis klunzingeri
Mullidae
Black-margined goatfish
Upeneus nigromarginatus
Gobiidae
Black-ray goby
Stonogobiops nematodes
Acanthuridae
black-spot surgeonfish
Acanthurus bariene
Chaetodontidae
Black-spotted butterflyfish
Chaetodon nigropunctatus
Gobiidae
Black-spotted snubnose goby
Pseudogobius melanosticta
Pomacentridae
Black-tail sergeant
Abudefduf lorenzi
Soleidae
Black-tip sole
Soleichthys heterorhinos
Pomacentridae
Black-vent damsel
Dischistodus melanotus
Chaetodontidae
blackback butterflyfish
Chaetodon melannotus
Lebiasinidae
blackbanded pyrrhulina
Copella nigrofasciata
Carangidae
blackbanded trevally
Seriolina nigrofasciata
Pomacentridae
Blackbar chromis
Pycnochromis retrofasciatus
Sciaenidae
blackbar drum
Pareques iwamotoi
Monacanthidae
blackbar filefish
Pervagor janthinosoma
Pseudochromidae
Blackbarred dottyback
Labracinus atrofasciatus
Gobiidae
Blackbarred reefgoby
Priolepis nocturna
Gobiidae
Blackbelly dwarfgoby
Eviota atriventris
Apogonidae
Blackbelt cardinalfish
Ostorhinchus nigrocincta
Apogonidae
Blackbelted cardinalfish
Taeniamia zosterophora
Pomacentridae
blackbordered dascyllus
Dascyllus marginatus
Dorosomatidae
Blackburn's herring
Herklotsichthys blackburni
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
What is the evolutionary difference between a ray and a flounder?
A ray is a cartilaginous fish flattened from top to bottom (dorsoventrally depressed) with eyes on top and gill slits on the underside; a flounder is a bony fish that lies on its side, whose eye migrates during larval development to make the body asymmetrical.
Why do disk-shaped fish like angelfish and discus have tall bodies?
A laterally compressed disc shape provides high vertical stability and exceptional turning agility, allowing fish to twist into narrow vertical crevices and maneuver between tangled roots or coral branches without losing control.