Name: Spotted scat, leopard-scat, spotted butterfish
Scientific Name: Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Family: Scatophagidae
Group: Bony fish
Class: Fish
Size: 11-25 cm.
The spotted scat lives in tropical waters rich in organic material and animal and plant remains. Here, we can find it in shoals that swim in the vicinity of ports or in the brackish waters of the mouths of rivers, estuaries and mangroves. Although it is not an aggressive fish, sometimes, it nibbles at divers who cross its path... Indeed, divers should take care to avoid the venomous spines on the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins of this fish. In China, it is believed that the spotted scat has curative properties, and is hence used in traditional medicine.
Photo by:
www.mundoacuariofilo.org
Mangrove forest
