Fish ID-interesting flattie

[Si]

Nice work Benny.

[Angla]

The truth uncovered. Great effort for just a small fish but still good to know.

Cheers
Chris

[sleepygreg]

Actually only 5 posts for a roughy, just 29 posts for the scientific name. Sorry - dont get many chances to say 'i told you so'. lol

Seriously though - there are so many varieties of flathead around that unless its one of the commonly caught ones (dusky, sand, bar tailed), they can be difficult to identify accurately - unless you have caught them previously and done the exercise of identification. The majority of people will just call it an ugly flathead and either throw it back or eat it if they thinks its big enough to be legal.

I was lucky enough in my early years of fishing to spend a lot of my time fishing with guys that were so rapt in fish and fishing that they were doing marine sciences at uni, fishing journalism, etc (Julian Pepperill, Steve Clarke, Alan Darke, Rod Harrison, Frank Prokop) - and and everything that came in that was not 'normal' was photographed, measured, analysed - and in a lot of cases kept alive and taken back for further study. Geeeez it was annoying sometimes when you were just out for a feed of fish, or some light tackle action and then the whole trip changed because something 'different' became the focal point for the day - but I wouldnt change a thing - I learnt so much from those guys about variations in species just from observation.

PS. No I DO NOT claim to be an expert at fish ID......the trevally's confuse the crap out of me, most non commonly caught reefies leave me flummoxed, and I cannot for the life of me remember scientific names of fish. But if I have caught it and had it identified, I have a reasonable idea of what it is if I see it again.

There are heaps of people on this forum that have a wealth of knowledge on fish ID's - I would love to see more posts asking for ID's - I learn something every time one is put up. Maybe the Mods could make a seperate section for fish ID's.

[Sheik]

Nice work benny thanks for sorting that one out.
regards jim

[kc]

Ditto Benny, been away a few days so just caught up and good to see the "skeptics" did not accept the expert advice that this was a fringe eye.......

Hmmm!

Anyhow.

Good Job

KC

[Rainbowrunner]

we used to catch them alot around the rocks in the mouth of the Boyne River, we just called em rock flathead, have seen them well over 60cm but yes definitely different to a fringe eye