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Tripterodon orbis Playfair, 1867

African spadefish
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Tripterodon orbis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Tripterodon orbis (African spadefish)
Tripterodon orbis
Picture by Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Muscat

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) > Ephippidae (Spadefishes, batfishes and scats)
Etymology: Tripterodon: Greek, tres tria = three + Greek, pteron = wing, fin + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 40 - 70 m (Ref. 123860). Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indian Ocean: southern Africa to Algoa Bay, South Africa; to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including India and Sri Lanka.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 75.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19 - 21; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15 - 17. Silvery brown; with dark crossbands that disappear with growth (Ref. 5327).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits coastal waters around reefs (Ref. 30573). Feeds on rock and coral-dwelling organisms (Ref. 5213). Flesh edible (Ref. 12484).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Smith, M.M., 1986. Ephippidae. p. 605-607. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 5327)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
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Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
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Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 23.9 - 27.6, mean 26.8 °C (based on 86 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 1.0000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02692 (0.01132 - 0.06402), b=2.94 (2.74 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.5   ±0.37 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.