Onigocia spinosa (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)
Midget flathead
Onigocia spinosa
photo by Ryanskiy, A.

Family:  Platycephalidae (Flatheads)
Max. size:  25 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 8 - 250 m, non-migratory
Distribution:  Western Pacific: southern Japan, South China Sea, Philippines, northwest shelf of Australia through Timor and Arafura seas.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 9-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 11-12. A short, branched supra ocular cirrus present. Infraorbital ridge entirely serrated over eye. Preopercular spines 3-5, not noticeably slanting towards mid-line; no smooth notch under eye. Antorbital margin with 3 antrorse spines. Lower side of head unicarinate. Lateral line scales frequently 37 or 38, anterior 7 to 27 scales bearing a small spine or ridge. Iris lappet bearing numerous short branches with bifurcate tips. Upper surface of eye with a short, branched cirrus. Description: Characterized by mottled grey to brownish color; 3-4 dark brown cross bands on back and sides, prominent broad band between rear portion of spinous dorsal fin and second dorsal fin origin, band behind second dorsal fin and band at base of caudal fin; 3-5 preocular spines; 2-4 serrations on preorbital; supraorbital ridge entirely serrated over eye (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Occurs inshore (Ref. 7300); taken by trawling over sand and mud bottoms to 250 m (Ref. 9790). Nocturnal, buried in the substrate during the day (Ref. 48635).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 04 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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