Reef fish
Longfin batfish
Platax teira
A tall, disc-shaped silver fish that drifts in loose groups around reefs and wrecks. A resident school is a well-known feature of the SS Thistlegorm, where the fish hang in the current above the cargo holds and often approach divers closely.
- Max size
- ~60cm
- Habitat
- Wrecks and reef, often mid-water
Best places to dive with Longfin batfish
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Batfish are described cruising in from open water over the wrecks and are among the most frequently mentioned fish on the hulls. Reliable year-round.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Batfish hang around the wrecks year-round, often in small groups near the Okikawa Maru, Kogyo Maru and Irako.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Batfish are among the resident schooling fish on the HTMS Chang wreck.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
A resident school hangs over the SS Thistlegorm year-round, drifting in the current above the cargo holds.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | not seen |
| February | not seen |
| March | not seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | not seen |
| December | not seen |
Batfish schools are a recurring Tokong Timur and offshore-pinnacle sighting during the operating season.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Schools hang around the superstructures of the larger wrecks.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Reported by the local operator on the deeper edges at Bay Canh and Hon Cau, usually in small groups.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Groups of batfish hang around the pinnacles and wreck sites, curious and easy to approach.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Small groups hang around structure — the Sugar Wreck, the Police Wreck and the boulders at Terumbu Tiga. They are curious and will follow divers, which makes them a staple of Perhentian training-dive photos.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Batfish are regularly reported around the LCU and other wreck structures, but no defensible monthly pattern was found.
Sources & last checked
Checked July 2026
Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.
View 2 sources and checking notes
- SS Thistlegorm Wreck, DiveZone
- Platax teira (Longfin batfish), Wikipedia
Note on the data: IUCN status not firmly established for Platax teira; recorded as least_concern pending verification.