fish i.d. help

[scatter1]

i was fishing down at raby bay and caught a small fish which looked like a luderick but with spines down it's back and underside. it also had a black spot behind the gills. i was unlucky enough to cop a small stab from one of the spines and it hurt like buggery, slowly spreading through my hand and really burning for about an hour and a half. i have had a short look online but with no luck.
any ideas would be great. i've caught one before down there but shook it off the hook and didn't really give it a second thought.

thanks, sam

[TonyM]

Maybe a Butter Bream? ???

There are 2 varieties that I know of, one spotted and the other striped. Both give you a very nasty sting if they spike you. Basically it burns like heck... They can grow to be a fair size, biggest I've seen was over 35 cm

As with most of such stings the treatment is to immerse in water as hot as you can bear asap

I tend to get them in the cast net at times, a good one to keep your eye on....

[TonyM]

Just re-read your post - sounds more like a "Happy Moment". Obviously named by someone with a dry sense of humour

[Scott15]

Deffinately sounds like a happy moment. Been doneew times by the spines. The sting from the spines can last up to a week. did it look like this? not a very good pic

[scatter1]

that looks like the bastard >

thanks guys

[MulletMan]

I live at Raby Bay and the Happy Moments are thick in the canals. They grow to about 45 cms here and are quite edible though a little dry like a luderick! The rule with stings, stabs is:
Cold blooded "things" always use hot water
Hot blooded "things" always use cold water

[Fishinmishin]

Soaking the sting in water as HOT as possible and time help soothe the sting. I recommend not grabbing any fish until you identify it and are aware for booby traps .

[Fishinmishin]

You type faster then me Commodore .

[Big_Kev]

Piss on it.

[Maria]

Had an unfortunate experience last year when I threw a perfect cast net spread that managed to nail an entire school of them, all about 8cm long. The task of then getting some 30 of the bastards out of the net was a nightmare. Needless to say I got stung a few times and it turned into quite a painful afternoon.

[squidgiepalmer]

sounds like a happy moment to me seen a lady get hit by one and land in hospitial for a fair while lady was in her 50s we have a plauge of them at the moment in Evans Head bloody mungle fish steal all your weed when blackfishing only way we get rid of them is a flood this one was caught on SP
cheers squidgie

[jimmybob]

ive caugt jew full of thoses lil suckers...

[TonyM]

Big cod love em too Not to be ignored as a livie that's for sure - just be carefull rigging them up

[longtail]

happy moments or black spinefoot . hurts like hell if you get nailed by it saw a lady get slapped in the side the face by one few years ago on a charter boat she was jumping up and down and screaming for ages afterwoods
cheers
jas

[TonyM]

The face would probably be nasty. I've been stung in the hand by them too many times and while it hurts it's not so bad you can't fish on - maybe you build up immunity