Seldom noticed on the seabed, it spreads its large, spotted fins when alarmed.
- Local names
- Apa apa au ai
About this species
Enlarged pectoral fins resemble wings and carry numerous eye-like spots. When threatened, the fish spreads them and raises its dorsal spines.
Usually solitary and seldom noticed, it is nevertheless widely distributed in Polynesia. It lives on sandy, rubble-strewn areas of lagoons and outer slopes, feeding on small fish and invertebrates.
- Guide des poissons de Tahiti et ses îles, Indo-Pacific Fish conference Tahiti 2017, P. Bachet, T. Zysman, Y. Lefèvre, Au vent des îles
- DORIS - Dactyloptena orientalis
- FishBase - Dactyloptena orientalis
