Aquarist Atlas
Oddballs & Brackish · Brackish fish · Scatophagus

Scatophagus tetracanthus

(Lacepède, 1802)

African scat, Scatty, Scat

Formerly known as Chaetodon tetracanthus.

Full synonymy (2)
  • Chaetodon tetracanthus Lacepède 1802 · original combination
  • Scatophagus fasciatus Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1831 · junior synonym

Source: Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (Fricke, Eschmeyer & Van der Laan, eds.), California Academy of Sciences.

3 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2016
CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size12 in30 cm total length
Temperature72–86 °F22–30 °C
Depth—not recorded
DietAlgae, detritus, benthic invertebrates and prepared foods
BreedingEgg layer; not documented
Sexual dimorphismNot documentedNot documented for this species
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Scatophagus tetracanthus is the African scat, a schooling fish of East African harbours, estuaries and rivers. FishBase gives a maximum of 12 in TL, and the species carries a venom gland in its fin spines.

What's in the name

Scatophagus tetracanthus — skat-OFF-uh-gus tet-ra-KAN-thus

Scatophagus
  • skatosGreek — dung
  • phageinGreek — to eat
tetracanthus
  • tetraGreek — four
  • akanthaGreek — spine

Taxonomy & naming

Lacepède described the species in 1802 as Chaetodon tetracanthus. It belongs to Scatophagus, in the family Scatophagidae, which holds the scats. The African scat is the least common in the trade of the three scat species usually seen.

Morphology

A deep, disc-shaped fish with a laterally compressed body. FishBase gives a maximum length of 12 in TL and records a venom gland connected to the fin spines.

Habitat

FishBase calls it common in harbours and estuaries and also found in rivers and lagoons. The range runs along the Indo-West Pacific from Somalia and Kenya to South Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The temperature given is 22 to 30 C.

Feeding

FishBase records that it feeds on detritus and benthic invertebrates. In aquaria it accepts algae, vegetable matter, flakes and meaty foods.

Mating

Courtship has not been described for this species.

Breeding

FishBase has no spawning details for this species, and it is not bred in aquaria.

In the aquarium

A large, active shoaling fish that needs a big tank and brackish water as it matures. Scats will eat plants, so use hardy or artificial planting. Handle with care because of the venomous fin spines. The temperature of 22 to 30 C comes from FishBase.

Conservation

The IUCN assessed Scatophagus tetracanthus as Least Concern in 2016.

Common questions

African scat (Scatophagus tetracanthus): how big does it get?
Up to 12 in total length (TL).
African scat (Scatophagus tetracanthus): what water temperature does it need?
The atlas records 72–86 °F for this species.
African scat (Scatophagus tetracanthus): where does it come from?
It is recorded from Somalia, Kenya, South Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Also from the Indo-West Pacific

Sources

  1. FishBase — Scatophagus tetracanthus
  2. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (California Academy of Sciences) — Scatophagus tetracanthus
  3. IUCN Red List — Scatophagus tetracanthus

Naming authority: Scatophagus tetracanthus in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Scatophagus tetracanthus. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/oddballs/scatophagus-tetracanthus/

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Where it has been recorded

33 georeferenced records (GBIF). Each point is a field observation or museum specimen — pan and zoom to explore where this species turns up. The coordinates come straight from GBIF and are often rounded or tied to the nearest town or river landing, so a dot can sit just beside the actual water rather than in it.

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