Batfish
Batfish are gorgeous and striking fish that are not common in aquaria for one major reason: they get huge. A two or three hundred gallon tank is needed for one, minimum, and larger is better. They start out as tiny, manageable-looking cuties, which often fools aquarists into purchasing them for their small aquariums. However they quickly grow to gargantuan proportions, and require large amounts of food as well as space, so beware. They are not reef safe and should be fed plenty of large meaty foods. Batfish change greatly as they grow, however the potential aquarist is most likely to see them in their juvenile form, so that is the description of the colouration here. They all have generally the same body shape: disk-like with tall dorsal and anal fins, similar to a Freshwater Angelfish.
The Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis) is a popular aquarium fish endemic to tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Its body is almost disc-shaped, and very thin; the tail, about 20% of the body length, is fan-shaped and taller than it is long. Males can grow to up to 50cm in length, though aquarium specimens are generally much shorter. In the wild, the Orbicular Batfish is found in brackish or marine waters, usually around reefs, at depths from 5 to 30 metres. Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa in the east to the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia in the west, and from southern Japan in the north to northern Australia and New Caledonia. It has been recorded off the coast of Florida, though this may be the result of dumping of aquarium specimens.
Juvenile fish are solitary or live in small groups, among mangroves or other inner sheltered lagoons. Adults are found in more open waters and at greater depth.
Platax teira is a fish from the Indo-West Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 70cm in length.
Platax pinnatus, also known as Dusky batfish or Red Faced Batfish is a fish from the western Pacific that occasionally is kept in marine aquariums.
As a Juvenile it is brown with orange stripe outlining its entire body. Adults become a dull silver. This fish grows to a maximum size of 45cm.
This is almost always a poor choice of fish for an aquarium. They are poor shippers, and typically die within the first few days in the aquarium. Even compared to other batfish they are known for being fragile. Those few that do survive lose their juvenile coloration and exhibit an adult color form typically considered less attractive.
To have some chance of successfully keeping this fish, a quite tall aquarium is desirable. Because this fish is so tall, long aquariums significantly constrain its movement.