Animalia Life

Pataecus fronto
FAMILY
Pataecidae
TAXONOMY
Pataecus fronto Richardson, 1844, Southern Australia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Grows to 11.8 in (30 cm) maximum length. An unusual-looking fish that is highly compressed, with a high dorsal fin con- fluent with the caudal fin. The color varies but usually ranges from brownish orange to bright red. Their bodies often are covered by dark blotches dorsally.
DISTRIBUTION
Found in southern Australia from southern Queensland to eastern Victoria.
HABITAT
It is difficult to observe red indianfishes because of their excellent camouflage. When they are seen, they are found in rocky reefs and estuaries, often in similarly colored sponge beds.
BEHAVIOR
Red indianfishes often shed the outer layer of skin to help get rid of epibiotic growth (algae or bryozoans), which acts as camouflage. Additionally, these fishes have an unusual “swimming” style that mimics a dead leaf floating in the water; they basically twist and spin as the fall back to the sea floor. The red indianfish is not venomous.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Little is known about the diet of red indianfishes, but their diet probably consists primarily of shrimps and other crustaceans. May be eatern by larger predatory fishes.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Little is known about the
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
of these fishes.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
This species is not commercially fished, but they are occasionally captured in commercial trawl nets.

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