I'm guessing you are in Western Australia? as that is the only state I have seen pics of those big spot fish come from. That is not a swallowtail dart and is like comparing a bar tail to a dusky, both flathead but not the same. Nice fish all the same and if the fight multiplies as it does with swallowtail I'd think he gave you a lot of curry.
yup spot on WA and yup put on a good account for itself!!
Grants Guide seems to suggest it is a southern swallowtail - the same as the ones we catch in south-east qld waters. It also says they grow to 2.8kgs!! Obviously they only grow that big in WA.
Makes me want to hit the beaches asap.
Heya Chisel
As swallowtail get bigger they get more spots not less, with all the fish I have caught either side of a kilo in 35 odd years of trying having either 7 or 8 small spots. As much as I look on Ern Grants book as the bible for fish ID's if it says that is the same fish as we catch here in Queensland I am happy to say he is wrong.
Thats not a dart thats a queenfish!
A poke around the net brought these up,
Trachinotus botla - Largespotted dart
Distribution: Indian Ocean: Somalia and Kenya to Algoa Bay, South Africa; also Madagascar, Sri Lanka and western Australia.
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...ry.php?id=1965
Trachinotus coppingeri - Swallowtal dart
Distribution: Southwest Pacific: eastern Australia.
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Spec...ry.php?id=1968
Hey guys dont know if they are the normal swallowtail or not but I can tell you that two that size were weghed in at a fishing club trip to Hummocky Island in CQ a few years back. They were both caught on pilly and were taken in amongst spotty mackeral in deep water. Cheers
My fishing club has fished the surf at Moreton & Sth Straddie for 30 years and the biggest dart (swallow tail) for each year usually comes in about .8 to 1.0 kilo.
As a rule under .5kg will have about 5 spots, .7kg will have 6 spots and over that will have 7 spots. When enquiring about the size of a big dart we ask "is it a 7 spotter?".
I know of a couple of 1.1 kg Swallowtail Dart that were weighed in at the Straddie Classic a few years back, I think they were caught from boats out at Flat or Shag Rock, known big dart locations.
I don't think this is the exact same species that is common in Sth Qld & NSW but it certainly is a top fish.
Cheers
Mike
I agree it does seem to be slightly different. Great fish though and if it fought 3 times as hard as a 0.8kg dart then it would have been a handful.
Thats huuuge for a dart. Well done. Im still in shock from your shark releases.
Its a lot bigger than these ones taken yesterday a Currumbin. The local pros are getting ready for the annual mullet run.
cheers
Andrew
Good call straddie, I'd say Large-spotted Dart.
Doesn't matter though does it, it's still a balltearer of a Dart.
Great fish!
Jeff.
I hate seeing pros netting dartOriginally Posted by the gecko
, such a good sport fish.
Didn't think there was much of a market for them because they freeze poorly and only taste good when fresh. A few years ago I asked a netter why they were iceing down the mullet & bream they were catching and not the dart. He told me they were destined for pet food.Not happy Jan.
I hope things have changed.
Cheers
Mike
Last edited by Mike Delisser; 09-05-2008 at 07:46 PM.
Nice one Bazza!
Mex
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