Flathead ID
Submitted by tim-o on Mon, 2012-09-24 15:30
Was darker in colour when it surfaced, big head for its body size, caught metro this morn. Def not bartail or blue spot, Fringe Eye? Common for metro?
____________________________________________________________________________
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
Image Upload:
Ben Derecki
Posts: 1926
Date Joined: 10/10/07
looks like one of these babies?
Tassel-Snouted Flathead can vary in colour from pale brown to purple with a number of variable dark saddles and markings, their colours generally camaflouging with the surroundings. They have a very large head (approx 40% of their body size) which is depressed with several ridges with strong spines. There is a dark band along the margin of the first short, spiny dorsal fin and all other fins have markings. They have large eyes and a large mouth with bands on the lower jaw. There is occasionally a bushy tentacle on the eye, which causes confusion with the Fringe-eyed Flathead.
Tassel-Snouted Flathead grow to 38cms.
They are considered good eating.
Tassel-Snouted Flathead are found from south-west Western Australia, around the southern temperate waters up to southern Queensland. They are not in Tasmanian waters.
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
Agree with Ben
Caught a few of them out from mindaries, I'm amazed it was greedy enough to take that size hook.
Glenn Moore
Posts: 228
Date Joined: 13/02/12
correct
Spot on Ben.
Glenn Moore
Curator of Fishes
Western Australian Museum
twitter @WestOzFish
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Tasmanian waters...
I gues the absence of a second head is the visual give away that the Tassel Snouted Flathead is not found in Tassie waters eh? :)
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
mean ugly looking
thats a very ugly looking fish