What's this, please??
Submitted by r.gates on Sun, 2010-11-28 15:44
Hi All
Just come back from a day out off Mandurah looking for some whiting around the five fathom bank. No luck with the whiting, but we did catch some parrot fish, wrasse and rock cod, all released, including this one. It was approx. 30cm long and as you can see, large spikes, bulging eyes and wing-like side fins.
We caught another one later, this time it was very red on its underbelly...it too, went back.
My first thought was a gurnard, but after googling it, couldn't find anything that looked like this one.
Your thoughts on this would be appreciated....any any thoughts on finding some suitable whiting ground around the FFB would also be greatly appreciated, thanks.
regards
rusty...
____________________________________________________________________________
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
.thumbnail.JPG "More Exmouth Pics")
eltaco
Posts: 277
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Think scorpion fish not 100%
Think scorpion fish not 100%
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Spot on
Your guess was spot on, its a gurnard perch and those lovely looking spikes can deliver a very nasty sting that can require medical attention
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Gurnard perch
Thanks carnarvonite
I suppose you're now going to tell me how nice they taste on the bbq with some lemon??
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Some
Some ppl love them including my son but I reckon its not worth the pain if you get a sting and let them have the hook as a facial peircing and send them on their way.
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Gurnard perch
Thanks carnarvonite
I suppose you're now going to tell me how nice they taste on the bbq with some lemon??
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
Yeh its a scorpion fish
dont get stung!!
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Sorry about that....
Pressed the wrong button....
I don't do pain very well so I'll probably stay clear of them, thanks.
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18090
Date Joined: 11/03/08
there is a way to avoid the
there is a way to avoid the spines and they are great tasting but for the size of them you dont get a lot of meat off them. if your going to keep one , do not put them with other fish . that way you have no chance of getting stung while pulling the other fish out of the esky
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Got a better way
Faulkners, grab the Gurnards gob with a set of long nose pliers and pin it to the gunnel of your boat. Then with a sharp knife cut the dorsal spines/fins off the top of the fish and then remove all other spines/fins. Now there's nothing to be spiked with and you can deal with them easily.
Old trick used my many old fella's down here (Geo bay) where we catch heaps of these Gurnards
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18090
Date Joined: 11/03/08
a pair of side cutters would
a pair of side cutters would be a bit safer. that way you cant slip with the knife . always used side cutters for cobbler.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
If your
holding the fishes mouth with the pliers so the fishes mouth is facing you and your basically scalping the top off the fish (cutting away from your body) to remove the spines i'm not sure how you could possibly cut yourself? Takes 20 secs, side cutters would take a month
I've done it a few times myself and as long as the knife is sharp it's easy as. Good trick
synthos
Posts: 522
Date Joined: 23/06/07
nice pic
very nice photo of the fish :) usually there more red ;)
Jordan496
Posts: 37
Date Joined: 17/01/10
nah no scorpion fish
nah no scorpion fish carnavonite is spot on with the gurnard perch old man got spiked by 1 a while back
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Took the photo myself
Holding the fish in my left hand by the bottom jaw, camera set to macro, hey presto!
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
bod
Posts: 2321
Date Joined: 03/05/06
from Fishwreckapedia
Western Red Scorpionfish have a deep body and can be bright red, red/brown or light brown with darker blotches and markings. There may be a black spot at the end of the first dorsal fin. They have 12 venomous dorsal spines which cause painful wounds, severity depending on the size of the fish and the depth of penetration.
Western Red Scorpionfish grow to about 40cms.
They are considered very good eating however caution is advised.
Western Red Scorpionfish are endemic to Western Australia, from Esperance to Quobba.
Gurnard Perch have a relatively large, rounded head and slender body which base colour varies from pale olive green to dark brown with cream, the belly area generally being orange - red. Small black spots are often present on the head and body. They have a large spotted pectoral fin reaching past the start of the anal fin. The third dorsal spine is the longest - a diagnostic tool.
Juveniles have two vertical black bands on their tail fin. Older fish have small black spots.
Gurnard Perch grow to 50cms in length.
The flesh is very good eating however care must be taken as the 13 dorsal fin spines are venomous.
They are found from the Abrolhos Islands WA south around to Kangaroo Island South Australia.
lordhell
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 28/11/10
Creepy lookin critter you
Creepy lookin critter you have there. We get some strange looking ones ourselves here as well.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Looks like a moongazer?
Looks like a moongazer?
bod
Posts: 2321
Date Joined: 03/05/06
stargazer
stargazer methinks
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Northern cousin
Looks like a Darwin Jawfish but the stripes on its tail are horizontal not vertical, thats the closest I can get to Id'ing it.
bod
Posts: 2321
Date Joined: 03/05/06
monkfish
"Strange Fish
Can you tell me what kind of fish this is. It was caught in South Padre Island Texas, but no one knows what it is.
It kinda looks like a monk fish. If you can help me with this it would be greatly appreciated
Thank you L. Matthews
Pic : A great photo of a monkfish
ED : It is a monk fish, and is also known as a stargazer. These fish are closely related to angler fish.They bury themselves so only the eyes protrude from the sand and await an unwary small fish to pass close by. They then open their upturned mouth so quickly that the fish is sucked in completely.
In New Zealand we have two common species the spotted stargazer which lives in shallow water and grows to around two pounds and the giant stargazer which grows to around 20 lbs and is a uniform green colour. I used to catch a lot of the giant stargazers in set nets around 10 miles north of the Mokohinau Islands in water 130 metres deep when I was commercial fishing. They usually only take live or moving baits."
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Stargazer/moongazer - some
Stargazer/moongazer - some fish that its into astronomy - I was close ;)
tournament
Posts: 376
Date Joined: 10/11/09
thanks gtot one awhile back
thanks gtot one awhile back but didnt know wat it was