Teira Batfish

The Teira Batfish is one of the largest and most impressive batfish species commonly encountered in the marine aquarium trade. Juveniles are particularly attractive, displaying a tall, laterally compressed body with dramatically elongated dorsal and anal fins that give them a striking, diamond-shaped silhouette. Young fish are typically brownish with dark vertical bars and may show hints of yellow along the fin margins. As they mature, adults develop a more rounded, disc-shaped profile and can reach an impressive 24 inches in length, making them true showpiece fish for very large aquariums.

In the wild, Teira Batfish are found throughout the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Western Pacific and northern Australia. Juveniles are often encountered near floating debris, drifting seaweed, and sheltered coastal areas where their elongated fins help them mimic dead leaves or floating plant matter. Adults form loose schools around shipwrecks, deep reef slopes, and offshore structures, where they feed on algae, invertebrates, and planktonic organisms.

Despite their imposing adult size, Teira Batfish are remarkably peaceful and even docile fish with engaging, almost dog-like personalities. They quickly learn to recognize their keepers and will often approach the front of the tank at feeding time. They are considerably hardier and easier to acclimate than the closely related Pinnate Batfish, making them a more practical choice for experienced aquarists with sufficiently large systems. A minimum tank size of 300 gallons is essential to accommodate their adult dimensions. They are not considered reef-safe as mature specimens will pick at soft corals, anemones, and sessile invertebrates.