Is this a sweetlip?

[Tewantin]

I caught and released this fish in the Noosa river this morning. Is it a sweetlip? It's the 1st one I've caught and I must say it did pull pretty hard on the light gear.

[tailorboi99]

Looks like a juvenile Red Throat emperor if you ask me, http://www.fish.gov.au/fishnames/fishnames.php?pid=2771

[mull dog]

sorry tailor but thats a junior spangled emporer

[Braddles]

Definatley not a red throat...

I am going to say its a Grass Emperor - also known as blue lined emperor. http://www.fish.gov.au/fishnames/fishnames.php?pid=2768

Loads of juvinille specimens in the noosa river system on the gravel patches around myora - always stealing ya bait...

I am not 100% certain - but I would put a $5'er on it.

Brad.

[ffejsmada]

Loads of juvinille specimens in the noosa river system on the gravel patches around myora - always stealing ya bait...


Brad.


Loads in the Noosa River system???????? Are you sure????

Please explain

[Tewantin]

It had lots of iridescent light blue spots on it that didn't quite come out well on the photo. Only a little bit of red lining inside it's mouth.

[FNQCairns]

As above i would call it a grassy but i don't go fishing enough these days to be 100% on it,esp on the emperors/sweetlips.

cheers fnq

[Braddles]

Loads in the Noosa River system???????? Are you sure????

Please explain


Very sure mate! I am not sure what there is to "Please explain"

Growing up, my parents owned an apartment at Calgoa point apartments on the Noosa river, many a school holiday was spent there - and my brother and I would paddle our surf skies over to the sand banks at low tide, pump yabbies and then fish from these banks into the hole facing Munna Point / Myora Caravan Park.... These juvenilles were common catch if we downgraded our hooks to sub 1/0 - otherwise would just steal the bait.. Aggressive little fighters on light gear as kids- and the younger specimens have electric blue markings around their eyes / mouth.

There are also LOADS of these on the Eastern side of mud in the shallow reefs.... and I am also sure of this too.

Why do some people have to doubt everything that is said on here? Geeze! Its no wonder so many dont even bother posting their catch.

[ffejsmada]

Very sure mate! I am not sure what there is to "Please explain"

Growing up, my parents owned an apartment at Calgoa point apartments on the Noosa river, many a school holiday was spent there - and my brother and I would paddle our surf skies over to the sand banks at low tide, pump yabbies and then fish from these banks into the hole facing Munna Point / Myora Caravan Park.... These juvenilles were common catch if we downgraded our hooks to sub 1/0 - otherwise would just steal the bait.. Aggressive little fighters on light gear as kids- and the younger specimens have electric blue markings around their eyes / mouth.

There are also LOADS of these on the Eastern side of mud in the shallow reefs.... and I am also sure of this too.

Why do some people have to doubt everything that is said on here? Geeze! Its no wonder so many dont even bother posting their catch.


( edited insult. )

[JayT]

Hey,
Yeah I will say a grassy an a keeper too with 30cm being the min size an now with a new bag limit of 10,
Good work on the release for not knowing,
Next time in the esky cause they are good eating:)
Cheers Jay

[Braddles]

Post removed after deep breaths.

[Tewantin]

Thanks to all of you for your help. It sounds like it's a Grass Emperor. This river is truly amazing in it's variety. A couple of weeks ago I also landed and released a small cobia (!) that was around 40 cm.
Truly very lucky to have such a diverse and healthy marine enviornment.

[whatscracken]

Spangled Emperor, No doubt

[Braddles]

Thanks to all of you for your help. It sounds like it's a Grass Emperor. This river is truly amazing in it's variety. A couple of weeks ago I also landed and released a small cobia (!) that was around 40 cm.
Truly very lucky to have such a diverse and healthy marine enviornment.



Awesome re/- the baby cobe! That must have been a real supprise!

There are other baby reef species around too in the river - its great to know we must be doing something right in looking after the place...

[Horse]

I would call it a Spangled Emperor. Legal size 45cm and a bag limit of 5.
The Spangled blue dots and the lack of blue lines behind the eye are the tell tale identifiers. Lucky you did the right thing and released it when in doubt. Looks like a lot of us better bone up on fish ID before dropping anything in the esky;D

I have not fished the Noosa River for many years but back in the late 70's and early 80's the area in front of Munna point was lousy with small Emperors and at times Squire. I think they were more Lancers etc but may have been Grassies as well. The only way we could fish for Whiting was at night after they went to bed;D. The river used to run straight down the rock walls and out near the Woods camping grounds. The frying pan loop was not part of the main flow.

Its a great river system and certainly one well worth protecting

[capt. mud]

Definetly a grassy mate. Caught 2 myself up the beach last Monday released 1 and kept 1 (1kg.)

I target these fish on the inshore reefs off Mooloolaba (late summer)

Two fish 20klms. up the beach was a first though, especially when I was just using up some small blues before chasing whiting.

see previous post reply: Teewah beach by Slider.

[Saltdoggy]

anyone of the following by the look of fish.gov.au!

Obsolete Names: blue lined emperor; blue spot emperor; blueline emperor; brown sweetlip; coral bream; emperor; grass sweetlip; grey sweetlip; red-finned emperor; snapper bream

[abbot_86]

Definatley not a red throat...

I am going to say its a Grass Emperor - also known as blue lined emperor. http://www.fish.gov.au/fishnames/fishnames.php?pid=2768

Loads of juvinille specimens in the noosa river system on the gravel patches around myora - always stealing ya bait...

I am not 100% certain - but I would put a $5'er on it.

Brad.


LOADS!!!! cmon mate , if there is loads they must be tiny cause iver never seen or heard of one being caught

[nickstock]

I fished Noosa religously about 5 times a week for nearly ten years abbot_86 and I would of caught about 10 of these in the time I was there so they are there.

Nick

[Outsider1]

I would call it a Spangled Emperor. Legal size 45cm and a bag limit of 5.
The Spangled blue dots and the lack of blue lines behind the eye are the tell tale identifiers. Lucky you did the right thing and released it when in doubt. Looks like a lot of us better bone up on fish ID before dropping anything in the esky;D

I have not fished the Noosa River for many years but back in the late 70's and early 80's the area in front of Munna point was lousy with small Emperors and at times Squire. I think they were more Lancers etc but may have been Grassies as well. The only way we could fish for Whiting was at night after they went to bed;D. The river used to run straight down the rock walls and out near the Woods camping grounds. The frying pan loop was not part of the main flow.

Its a great river system and certainly one well worth protecting

I would have to agree with Horse, reckon it is a Spangled.

Here are the Fishbase links;

Lethrinus nebulosus
Spangled emperor ;

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1846

http://www.fishbase.org/images/species/Leneb_u1.jpg



Lethrinus laticaudis
Grass emperor ;

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1857

http://www.fishbase.org/images/species/Lelat_u1.jpg

And a comparative chart;

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/28_8611_ENA_HTML.htm

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/images/Fisheries_RecreationalFishing/RFish-SpotTheSpangles-500.gif

[flatzie]

Tewantin, It is definitely a Spangled Emperor! and not a Grassy. Colours and pattern are clearly defined and very different to a Grassy. I have caught heaps of these on night trips for nannygai and red emperor on night trips in NQ. i would put my house on it!
Cheers
Flatzie

[ooglie74]

Im also with a spanglie.
The fish you talk about around myora are grassies but this fish isnt.

Cheers Troy

[webby]

Definitely a juvenile spangled emperor 45cm limit of 5, at that length a grassie would be in full colour. so it sure aint no grassie.

[JayT]

Think I may have to swap sides now an go with the juvi spangled on closer inspection:) either way mate ya did the right thing an released it on uncertainty,
which is the way to go!!
Outsider1 that second pic of the 'grassie' looks like that fish was out sunbaking for half the day before the pic was taken haha
Good comments boys an ya learn something new everyday:)

[abbot_86]

I fished Noosa religously about 5 times a week for nearly ten years abbot_86 and I would of caught about 10 of these in the time I was there so they are there.

Nick

would you say 10 fish in 10 years is LOADS???

[Braddles]

Look dickwad Its gone from IMPOSSIBLE to be there to they are there.

Nick said he caught 10 in 10 years - I doubt a grown man would target 20cm grassies. As I said, as a kid we did for fun - and yes we caught loads.,....

Shit - no wonder we dont see so many of the good reports on here...

Wankers always picking it apart

Move on you twit - they are there! And we did catch a lot, period.

I am sorry to the initial guy who asked the Question - who has to put up with this inuendo and crap!

[vertico]

id say spangled emperor as well
caught a few smaller models up in fitzroy lagoon

[cultiva_king01]

grass emperor i think

[legsy11]

its pretty scary to think that ive been worrying about all this green zone crap but after reading this thread and seeing just how uneducated people on a fishing forum r,it makes me think what the weekend warriors r doing when they come across a juvi spangled.45cm is a long way off 30 for a grassy.

[legsy11]

Look dickwad Its gone from IMPOSSIBLE to be there to they are there.

Nick said he caught 10 in 10 years - I doubt a grown man would target 20cm grassies. As I said, as a kid we did for fun - and yes we caught loads.,....

Shit - no wonder we dont see so many of the good reports on here...

Wankers always picking it apart

Move on you twit - they are there! And we did catch a lot, period.

I am sorry to the initial guy who asked the Question - who has to put up with this inuendo and crap!

nice fish mate,good job on releasing fish you werent sure about.its a spangly mate the grassys have very defining stripes at that size.both fight very well when using light gear in the estuaries.catch LOADS down here around donnybrook way as well.

[backlash08]

spangled, no doubt

[Angla]

Looks like a grass sweetlip to me.

Chris

[hooknose]

These small lippers are common inside the gc seaway as well, they hang around the seagrass beds as juveniles and go into the deeper holes as they get a bit bigger before moving out to sea .

[flatzie]

Anyone who says thats a grassy has obviously never caught sufficient quantities of either to be able to make a proper judgement. They are like chalk and cheese with colour and pattern. I guarantee if you took that pic to any knowledgeable person on species they wouldnt take two seconds to call it.
Cheers
Flatzie

[Jeremy]

too much ego and aggro by self called experts here for me

Jeremy

[FNQCairns]

Yeah but when you are right you are right, just a little of fishery's broad management plan to reduce amenity is highlighted very well here, I have caught many more spangled than grassies, last spangled was last fishing trip 3 months ago and I still called it wrong...getting far too dangerous to even think about going fishing:(

cheers fnq

[Barraboy7]

So Jeremy
Is that fish your a holding a snapper, a tricky snapper, a sand snapper or a wobbygong. Or just a squire held a long way from your body with telescopic arms in front of the lens, just joking! Yes a few boys sure get wound up.
Cheers
Barraboy

[Horse]

I think the Grassy/Spangly confusion is equalled with the Spotty/Schooly ID. I have seen a lot of experieced anglers make mistakes with both.

[ffejsmada]

I think I'll change3 my mind and call it a Spangled as well.;)

What's the fish in this photo???

[tailorboi99]

Weren't you banned Jeff?

Tom

[disorderly]

I'd guess its a Spangler...seems to be a fair variance in colours with grassies but I havent seen one where the blue lines extend all the way to the mouth..

I'd guess Jeff's one above to be a Grassy...

[Wahoo]

glad you threw it back, they stink like shit when cut open and not that great eating IMHO

[wags on the water]

Weren't you banned Jeff?

Tom
It's best to let this one slide Tom. It really depends on the period of said action.

[ffejsmada]

Weren't you banned Jeff?

Tom


;D.............................;)

[abbot_86]

Weren't you banned Jeff?

Tom

ahahaha you seem suprised to see him back tom. were you the one who reported him ??? do you aspire to one day be an ausfish moderator??;D ;D ;)

[Tewantin]

Thank you to everyone that participated in this lively and at times debatable discussion about what this fish is. I've decided that what I caught was a Spangled Emperor.
Perhaps I should start a "somebody needs a hugg" thread now!
Thank you to everyone.

[Crestcutter]

Amen too that , group hug definately comes to mind in this thread. And just think, all because of someone wanting a fish id .

That made me spit coke when i read it Tewantin. Thanks for the well worded reply that made my day.

Ps, I am going with spangled.