Skip to content

DiscoverSpeciesFish

Cockatoo righteye flounder

Samaris cristatus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth27–88 m
  • Water temperature17–29 °C
  • Best monthsAugust, October, and November
  • How commonRare
All species

About this species

Samaris is a genus of crested flounders native to the Indo-Pacific.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Samaris”, 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: 2 records
  • February: 4 records
  • March: 2 records
  • April: 7 records
  • May: 5 records
  • June: 13 records
  • July: 4 records
  • August: 16 records
  • September: 15 records
  • October: 22 records
  • November: 16 records
  • December: 10 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 27–88 m · Deepest record: 635 m

  • 0–10 m: 2 records
  • 10–20 m: 1 records
  • 20–30 m: 7 records
  • 30–40 m: 8 records
  • 40–50 m: 16 records
  • 50–60 m: 21 records
  • 60–70 m: 7 records
  • 70–80 m: 6 records
  • 80–90 m: 2 records
  • 90–100 m: 0 records
  • 100–110 m: 0 records
  • 110+ m: 7 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 17–29 °C

  • 16–18 °C: 12 records
  • 18–20 °C: 1 records
  • 20–22 °C: 0 records
  • 22–24 °C: 7 records
  • 24–26 °C: 28 records
  • 26–28 °C: 64 records
  • 28–30 °C: 44 records

Names and classification

English
Cockatoo righteye flounder, cockatoo righteye flounder, crested flounder
Names in 1 more languages
Japanese
Hatatategarei, ハタタテガレイ

Other scientific names: Arnoglossus cacatuae, Samaris cacatuae, Samaris cristata, Samaris delagoensis, Samaris ornatus, Samariscus cristatus, Somaris cristatus

Similar species

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).
  • 298 open-data records from 1831 to 2025.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist

DiveHive uses necessary cookies to work. With your permission we also use analytics to see which pages help. Analytics is off until you say yes, and we never record what you type.

  • NecessaryAlways on: your choice, security.Always on
  • AnalyticsOff unless you accept.Off
Privacy policy