01/09/2020
The Koh Tao Batfish (also known as Longfin Batfish or Spadefish) is just another of the great variety of fish that Koh Tao diving has to offer all levels of divers. Whether you are doing your first dive of the open water course or making a deep fun dive, you can see these fish at most of our dive sites. Find out a little more about this weird-looking fish in this article.
The longfin batfish can grow to around 60 cm in size. They have a dark blotch under the pectoral fin, with another long dark mark above the base of the anal fin. This fish is usually silver, grey, or brownish in color. It has a blackish band through the eye and another band with a pectoral fin. From the side, they have a roughly circular body with a low hump on the nape. The juveniles are pretty cute with their very long dorsal and anal fins that become relatively shorter as the fish grows into adulthood. It’s scientific name is Platax teira.
You can find batfish around many of Koh Tao’s dive sites, typically singly at Chumphon Pinnacle, Hin Wong Pinnacle, Twins. Or White Rock and at Sail Rock or South West Pinnacle they can be found schooling in large numbers like in the photo below.
The batfish is an omnivore and it will eat plankton, small invertebrates, and marine algae. Also popular in private aquariums, but I am not so sure about that. If you want to see them it is best to come diving instead! Around Koh Tao Batfish are not scared of divers, if you are careful and cautious you can get close with your camera for some awesome shots. We know very little about their reproductive activities except that they spawn in the open ocean. But once the juveniles have grown to around 20mm in length they settle around reefs or lagoons where they can be protected from predators. I have seen a few juveniles hanging around buoy lines when they are bigger than 20 mm, very entertaining when making a safety stop.
So if you are interested in learning more about Koh Tao batfish and other marine life you can study for the Fish Identification or Marine Ecology courses. Everything, including the exam, is online making studying much easier so there is no excuse not to.
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