Facts: The Starry Handfish (Minipizza Batfish)
Quick facts about this flattened fish that lives on the seafloor! The starry handfish (minipizza batfish, red batfish, starry seabat, Halieutaea stellata, round batfish). Starry handfish facts!
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The starry handfish, also known by many names such as the mini pizza batfish,
is a widely distributed marine fish found throughout the Indo-West Pacific. The range
of these fish extends from Japan to Australia, northern New Zealand, and various Pacific islands.
They prefer to inhabit relatively deep water, from 165 to 2,000 feet deep. They are typically
found in sandy, cobble, or shell areas of the seafloor, on the continental shelf and slope.
They have a rounded body disc that is slightly wider than it is long. Their tail is shorter
than the diameter of the disc. Their eyes are widely spaced apart. There are strongly pointed
tubercles on their top surface and body margins. Their entire body is covered with tiny spines.
Their body is reddish in color with a vermiculite pattern. They can grow around 10 inches long.
Because of their wide distribution, starry handfish are not currently considered a
threatened species. The fish are occasionally taken as bycatch in trawls and dredges.
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