What Type of Fish please??

[gone_phishin]

We caught dozens of these little buggers yesterday, and maybe I'm just showing my ignorance, but I can't for the life of me work out what they are!!!!

They appear a bit like a Barred Grunter but the black bands are so intense and they schooled up in their thousands with lots of Salmon around and through the school. A large size was just over the 20 cm mark but most sat at around 17cm.

Any ideas please? I can't find them in Ern Grants.

Regards
Geoff

[MulletMan]

I reckon he is a juvenile Paddletail!

Best hope he is not as they are a "no take species " in Queensland!

Twenty years in the slammer or yer fishing fingers come off!

[barradise]

Caught plenty of these little buggers around Gladstone and Keppel Bay, they school up in huge numbers and can be a real pest.
Going off your photo, this is a Blotched Grunter (Javelin fish), they grow approx to 18 inches and a weight of around 4kg fully grown, although this is a rare catch at that size.
They are eatable and also make good black jewfish bait or large threadfin, etc.
John.

[gone_phishin]

I tend to go with the Grunter theory, obviously because of the noise, but the shape was very close to the Barred Grunter. Apparently here in Bundy another name is the Iron Bark Trumpeter and are thought of as a pest.

Thanks TPP and Barradise, keep 'em comin'

Geoff

[MulletMan]

The only thing I noticed was the shape of the tail.

The grunters all seem to have a very square and straight end to their tail, this guy has got rounded tail fins and that is why I thought he might be a Paddletail but Barradise seems to know them pretty well so reckon he is more right than me!

I just can't find any grunters with that round sort of tail fin - back to Google again by the looks of it!

[Nugget]

Hi Geoff - Where were they caught - state, town, salt / fresh?

Thanks

Dave ><>

[gone_phishin]

G'day Dave

Caught in the Burnett River in Bundaberg in salt. Came across a massive school of them while underway in 35' of water and the sounder just said all of a sudden we were in 14'. There were Salmon around and through them as well. Everything we put in the water got taken, but if you got to the bottom, you wouldn't get a bite. Hung around for half and hour or more before they all just disappeared.

Regards
Geoff

[Nic]

Could be a 'saddle' grunter maybe, some individuals have bars but others have spots: http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/Thumb...ry.php?ID=4447

[gone_phishin]

Nic,

Thanks for that! The bottom drawing in the link looks like it, but with the head structure of the top pictures rather than the rounded head of the drawing. Does that make sense

Regards

Geoff

[Nic]

Yes I see what you mean, looks pretty close though. It's amazing the variations you can get within a species – that's unless it's just a bad drawing!

[borisdog]

TPP, Paddletail are red - very red. I'm with the "grunter (javelin) of some type" theory.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Don't think its a barred grunter:
http://www.fishbase.se/Summary/Speci...y.php?id=14925

I'd go with common name Blotched Javelin or Saddled Grunt:
http://www.fishbase.se/Summary/Speci...ry.php?id=4447

Cheers
Jeff

[Nugget]

Definitely a grunter species although without the location it is hard to now which.
Now I know you were in the Burnett - it is definitely a Pomadasys maculatus.
Common name - bloched or saddle grunter.

Here's a better colour picture of an adult specimen.


Dave ><>

[gone_phishin]

That's it Nugget!!

That drawing is definately spot on.

Thanks all!

Geoff