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Pinnate Batfish
Batfish

Pinnate Batfish

Platax pinnatus

Sold as the striking black, orange-rimmed juvenile with dramatically elongated fins — the most dramatic color change of any batfish, since the adult fades to a plain silvery fish with short, yellow-tinged fins around 45 cm. It is widely regarded as the hardest batfish to keep: wild-caught imports frequently refuse food and ship poorly, captive-bred stock is essentially unavailable, and it rates experts-only even before its 150–300+ gallon (550–1,140+ L) adult tank requirement. It is not reef safe — it eats corals and anemones as it grows — and should be treated as a long-term, large-tank commitment from day one.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
17.7"
Min tank
300 gal
Reef-safe
Not reef safe
Diet
Omnivore
Zone
Mid-water, Rockwork, Caves
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Pinnate Batfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Pinnate Batfish.Orbiculate BatfishPinnate Batfish and Orbiculate Batfish are the same genus (Platax) and will fight — keep only one.Blue-Leg Hermit CrabPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Blue-Leg Hermit Crab is on the menu.Trochus SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Trochus Snail is on the menu.Astrea SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Astrea Snail is on the menu.Cerith SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Cerith Snail is on the menu.Nassarius SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nassarius Snail is on the menu.Nerite SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nerite Snail is on the menu.Mexican Turbo SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Mexican Turbo Snail is on the menu.Bumble Bee SnailPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Bumble Bee Snail is on the menu.Fighting ConchPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Fighting Conch is on the menu.Scarlet Reef Hermit CrabPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is on the menu.Zebra Hermit CrabPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Zebra Hermit Crab is on the menu.Halloween Hermit CrabPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Halloween Hermit Crab is on the menu.Emerald CrabPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Emerald Crab is on the menu.Sally Lightfoot CrabPinnate Batfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Sally Lightfoot Crab is on the menu.Skunk Cleaner ShrimpPinnate Batfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is on the menu.Fire ShrimpPinnate Batfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Fire Shrimp is on the menu.Peppermint ShrimpPinnate Batfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Peppermint Shrimp is on the menu.Coral Banded ShrimpPinnate Batfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Coral Banded Shrimp is on the menu.