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Flathead pomfret (Taractes asper) — Bramidae

Flathead pomfret

Taractes asper
Family: Bramidae
LC · Least Concern

The Flathead pomfret (Taractes asper) is a saltwater fish of the family Bramidae that grows up to 50 cm.

Length
50 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–140.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The rough pomfret is an open-water predator found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. The species grows to about 50 cm and has a deep, laterally compressed, dark body with rough, keeled scales and a forked tail. It lives from the surface to about 140 metres depth and hunts small fish, squid and crustaceans. The fish is sometimes landed as bycatch but has limited commercial value. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Flathead pomfret?

The Flathead pomfret has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly black and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Flathead pomfret live?

The Flathead pomfret lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Flathead pomfret get?

The Flathead pomfret grows to a maximum of about 50 cm.

Is the Flathead pomfret dangerous to humans?

No, the Flathead pomfret is harmless to humans.

Is the Flathead pomfret edible?

The Flathead pomfret is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Ruwe braam verified
English name
Flathead pomfret verified
Scientific name
Taractes asper
Family
Bramidae
Other names
Rough pomfret verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
50.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Black inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
140.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Taractes

More from the family Bramidae

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