Crocodile fish
Cymbacephalus beauforti
- Usual depth1–2 m
- Water temperature22–30 °C
- Best monthsOctober, November, and December
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Nick Hobgood, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
De Beaufort's flathead, also known as the crocodilefish or giant flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Text from the Wikipedia article “De Beaufort's flathead”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 94 records
- February: 59 records
- March: 69 records
- April: 65 records
- May: 59 records
- June: 62 records
- July: 64 records
- August: 63 records
- September: 80 records
- October: 126 records
- November: 96 records
- December: 137 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1–2 m · Deepest record: 17.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 22–30 °C
Photos
(c) Nicola Crockford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ben Costamagna, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ben Costamagna, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Roger Rittmaster, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) TonyT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ioannis Magouras, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Nicola Crockford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Crocodile fish, Crocodile Flathead, De Beaufort's Flathead, Giant Flathead
Names in 5 more languages
- German
- Braunkopf-Plattkopf
- Spanish
- Pez Cocodrilo de Beaufort
- French
- Poisson crocodile, Poisson-crocodile de Beaufort
- Japanese
- Emmagochi, エンマゴチ
- Simplified Chinese
- 博氏孔牛尾魚, 博氏孔鯒, 牛尾, 狗祈仔, 竹甲
Other scientific names: Platycephalus beauforti
Similar species
Black-freckled FlatheadCymbacephalus nematophthalmus
- Japanese Flathead
Inegocia japonica
Longsnout flatheadThysanophrys chiltonae
- Mud Flathead
Ambiserrula jugosa
- crocodile flathead
Cociella crocodilus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 129 open-data records from 1931 to 2000.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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