What fish is this?????

[geoff72]

my boss caught this at bond uni weir,not sure what it is?
was released immediatly after photo.

[marlinqld]

is it a banded scat or is that scad????????????


Mike

[backhoe]

It's a scat
They've got a spike on the top fin that can give you a bit of a sting
Can convert them over to fresh water and keep them in a fish tank pretty easily

[bidkev]

Yeah, a scat. Not often caught on hook and line as they're veggie eaters. Used to sell a lot of 'em when I was in the aquatic trade. Loved 'em cause they'd eat the plants in the customer's tanks and then they'd have to come and buy more plants Unusual to see the spots and bands prominent in the same fish. More often than not they usualy show either spots or bands but rarely both.

kev

Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wiser.

[DazSamFishing]

Also called a butterfish, dory or scat...

They grow to about 40cm and over a kilo... I have seen plenty caught in cast nets around redcliffe... They also sell the fillets at many seafood markets marked as 'dory'...

Daz

[zach]

yeh looks like a of butter fish to me iv caught them in a cast net befor
cheers
zach

[imnotoriginal]

I've caught one of those butterfish that went about 28cm off the tanga jetty, tasted nice too apparently. Was using dough as bait.
Joel

[Poodroo]

I think people confuse the butter bream with the scat. That is definitely a silver scat which is short for the scientific name "scatofagus argus" (think that was how it was spelled from memory). Kingtin, you and I share something in common. I too worked in the aquarium industry some years ago. I agree they love their vegetation but have also known them to love prawns and squid and marine mixes. They are very ravinous eaters and always come back for more regardless of how full they look. One of the few species that will also slowly adapt to freshwater for hobbiest who want them in a tank without setting up a salt water tank.

Poodroo

[doors_off]

Pretty sure it is a striped scad? Caught quite a few of them in a session on prawns up in Darwin years ago. Up to about 1-2kg, they fight really well, taste great. However when you get spiked by one, you wish that you had never met them. Damn that hurt!

[NeilD]

It is a Scatophagus argus or Common Scat. I always thought the striped and spotted were sub species. I have seen a lot while spearing and have caught the occasional one on a line. They grow to a fair size

Neil

[phatty]

gladstone marine.. theres a couple of HUGE ones that eat sh!t off the undersize of the jetty.. i landed a small one on a fly rod about 30cm.. but theres couple that are atleast 50+..

[Kendall249]

I've seen these fish at 50mm long for sale at a pet shop for $28.50

[gogecko]

Banded scat. Heres one I caught in the Coomera last year.

[Poodroo]

Biggest scat I ever saw was in the Seaworld oceanarium some years ago. It blew me away just how big those buggers can get. Caught a big one in a cast net last year whilst looking for prawns.

Poodroo

[onerabbit]

According to Ern Grant they are crap to eat, the neighbours caught one in the Richmond a while back, after that I saw schools of them around 1.5 -2kg, couldn't catch one though .

Muzz