Dusky FlatheadTue, Jan 10, 2017 12:36 AM
The dusky flathead or black flathead (Platycephalus fuscus) (literally translating from Ancient Greek as "flat-head dusky") is a large predatory fish and the largest member of the Platycephalidae family. Dusky flathead are a largely estuarine species and are found in estuaries, estuarine lakes and coastal bays on the east coast of Australia, from Cairns in Queensland to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria. They occur over sand, mud, gravel and seagrass and can inhabit estuarine waters up to the tidal limit. Flathead are notable for their unusual body shape, upon which their hunting strategy is based. Flathead are dorsally compressed, meaning their body is wide but flattened and very low in height. Both eyes are on the top of the flattened head, giving excellent binocular vision to attack overhead prey. The effect is somewhat similar to flounder. In contrast to flounder however, flathead are much more elongated, the tail remains vertical, and the mouth is large, wide and symmetri
Australasian SnapperWed, Oct 05, 2022 1:31 AM
The Australasian snapper or silver seabream, Pagrus auratus, is a species of porgie found in coastal waters of Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Japan and New Zealand. Its distribution areas in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are disjunct.[3] Although it is almost universally known in Australian and New Zealand as snapper, it does not belong to the Lutjanidae family of snappers. It is highly prized as an eating fish. The Australasian snapper is found on all coasts of New Zealand, especially in the north. In Australia, it is found along the south coast, mainly near Kiama, Berry, Gerringong, Gerroa, Huskisson, Vincentia, and Shoalhaven. It is also found on the coast of Tasmania, but in smaller numbers. The fish spawn in inshore waters and live in rocky areas and reefs of up to 200 m deep. They school, and will migrate between reefs. Larger fish are known to enter estuaries and harbours, for example Port Phillip Bay has a renowned seasonal snapper run.
White GruntTue, Feb 21, 2023 9:31 PM
Haemulon plumierii, the white grunt or common grunt, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Haemulidae native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It grows to a length of about 30 cm (12 in) and is a silvery-cream color, with narrow yellow and blue longitudinal stripes, but can modify its color somewhat to match its surroundings. It is closely related to the blue striped grunt and the French grunt and often schools with these species. It feeds on shrimp, other crustaceans, annelids and mollusks, and is preyed on by larger piscivores such as barracuda and shark. It is sometimes caught by anglers as a game fish and its white flesh can be eaten. It is also a popular aquarium fish. The white grunt is found near mangroves, reefs, docks, and nearly any sort of structure in its range, which extends in the Western Atlantic from Chesapeake Bay through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico down to Brazil. It normally lives in depths similar to that of its relative, the blue striped grunt, from 0-
MullowayMon, Jan 09, 2017 11:56 PM
Mulloway, or Argyrosomus japonicus, is a silvery to bronze-green colored fish, a member of the Sciaenidae family, which may grow up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length. It is known as mulloway or jewfish in Australia and dusky kob in South Africa. The name jewfish refers to the large earstones, which are prized as "jewels" by some fishers. Mulloway is a large, slender fish which can grow to 2 m (6 ft 7 in). It has a copper-colored head and is silvery with a bronze-green dorsal surface and paler belly. It has with a row of distinctive white spots running along the lateral line. The caudal fin is angular in juveniles but becomes more rounded in larger fish. Argyrosomus japonicus has an Indo-Pacific distribution occurring in coastal waters surrounding Australia, Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Japan. Adults are gregarious and are found over soft bottoms mainly beyond the surf zone, occasionally going inshore. Juveniles are exclusively found in shallow water and s
Smallmouth BassWed, Aug 11, 2021 11:14 PM
The Smallmouth Bass is generally brown, appearing sometimes as black or green (seldom yellow) with red eyes, and dark brown vertical bands, rather than a horizontal band along the side. There are 13–15 soft rays in the dorsal fin. The upper jaw of smallmouth bass extends to the middle of the eye. The smallmouth's coloration and hue may vary according to environmental variables such as water clarity or prey diet. Males are generally smaller than felmales. The males tend to range around two pounds, while females can range from three to six pounds. Their average sizes can differ, depending on where they are found; those found in American waters tend to be larger due to the longer summers, which allow them to eat and grow for a longer period of time. Their habitat plays a significant role in their color, weight, and shape. River water smallmouth that live in dark water tend to be rather torpedo-shaped and very dark brown to be more efficient for feeding. Lakeside small
Giant TrevallySat, Dec 26, 2020 3:55 PM
The giant trevally, also known as the giant kingfish, lowly trevally, barrier trevally, ulua, or GT, is a species of large marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The giant trevally is distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, with a range stretching from South Africa in the west to Hawaii in the east, including Japan in the north and Australia in the south. It is distinguished by its steep head profile, strong tail scutes, and a variety of other more detailed anatomical features. It is normally a silvery colour with occasional dark spots, but males may be black once they mature. It is the largest fish in the genus Caranx, growing to a maximum known size of 170 cm and a weight of 80 kg. The giant trevally inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from estuaries, shallow bays and lagoons as a juvenile to deeper reefs, offshore atolls and large embayments as an adult. Juveniles of the species are known to live in waters of very low salini
Atlantic CodMon, Feb 20, 2023 7:03 PM
Cod is the common name for the genus Gadus of demersal fishes, belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and there are species suggested to belong to genus Gadus that are not called cod (the Alaska pollock). The two most important species of cod are the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), which lives in the colder waters and deeper sea regions throughout the North Atlantic, and the Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), found in both eastern and western regions of the northern Pacific. Gadus morhua was named by Linnaeus in 1758. (However, G. morhua callarias, a low-salinity, non-migratory race restricted to parts of the Baltic, was originally described as Gadus callarias by Linnaeus.) Cod is popular as a food with a mild flavour and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Young Atlantic cod or h
Kelp BassMon, Jan 25, 2016 5:25 PM
The kelp bass, sometimes referred to as the Calico bass or western fish (leading to easy confusion with the freshwater fishes from the genus Pomoxis), is a species of marine fish found in the eastern North Pacific Ocean from Baja California, Mexico, to Washington, USA (although rare in the northernmost part of its range). As suggested by its common name, it is typically associated with kelp beds, but may also be found in rocky areas or near hard structures. It prefers relatively shallow water, but may occur as deep as 165 ft (50 m).
It can reach a length of 29 1⁄2 inches (75 cm), and, being a slow grower, live for as long as 34 years. It is considered an excellent food fish, and is a popular recreational fishery species in Southern California. While the population is believed to be stable, large individuals are relatively rare due to fishing pressure. Commercial fishing for this species has been illegal since the 1950s.
It feeds on small fishes, squid, crustace
Greater HammerheadThu, Apr 01, 2021 8:06 AM
The great hammerhead is the largest species of hammerhead shark, belonging to the family Sphyrnidae, attaining a maximum length of 6.1 m (20 ft). It is found in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide, inhabiting coastal areas and the continental shelf. The great hammerhead can be distinguished from other hammerheads by the shape of its "hammer" (called the "cephalofoil"), which is wide with an almost straight front margin, and by its tall, sickle-shaped first dorsal fin. A solitary, strong-swimming apex predator, the great hammerhead feeds on a wide variety of prey ranging from crustaceans and cephalopods, to bony fishes, to smaller sharks. Observations of this species in the wild suggest that the cephalofoil functions to immobilize stingrays, a favored prey. This species has a viviparous mode of reproduction, bearing litters of up to 55 pups every two years.
The great hammerhead inhabits tropical waters around the world, between the latitu
Striped MarlinSun, Aug 28, 2022 6:30 PM
The striped marlin, Kajikia audax, is a small species of marlin found in tropical to temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a desirable commercial and game fish with a record weight (in 1982) of 190 kg (420 lb) and a maximum length of 4.2 m (13.8 ft). The striped marlin is a predator that hunts during the day in the top 100 metres or so of the water column, often near the surface. One of their chief prey is sardines.
The striped marlin (Family Istiophoridae) is a large, oceanic fish with a long, round bill, small teeth and tall dorsal fin which decreases in height ending just before the second dorsal fin. Striped marlin reach a maximum size of nearly 12 feet, weighing over 450 pounds. The International Gamefish AssociationThe previous link is a link to Non-Federal government web site. Click to review NOAA Fisheries disclaimer all-tackle record is for a 494-pound fish caught near New Zealand in 1986.
Generally, fish begin arriving in the coastal an
Oyster ToadfishMon, Sep 20, 2021 1:12 AM
The oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau, is a fish of the family Batrachoididae. The maximum length of the toadfish is about 38 cm; the most common recorded length of an oyster toadfish is about 30 cm. They are generally brown or yellowish with a pattern of brown oblique bars.
The species can live in poor conditions and needs little food to live. It is an omnivore. Common prey include crustaceans, mollusks, amphipods, squid, and other smaller fish. Toadfish rely upon camouflage to catch their food; they lie motionless waiting for prey to pass close by, then attack by surprise. They can be found from Maine to the Caribbean Sea.
The fish has a distinctive "foghorn" sound used by males to attract females in the mating season, which is April-October. The sound-producing (sonic) muscles attached to its swimbladders are the fastest known vertebrate muscles. Following the foghorn sound, the female comes into the nest, lays eggs, and then leaves (the
Atlantic PomfretFri, Dec 25, 2020 5:51 PM
The Atlantic pomfret or Ray's bream (after naturalist, John Ray), Brama brama, is a pomfret of the family Bramidae, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and South Pacific Oceans, at depths down to 3,000 feet. Its length is between 15 and 40 inches.
Opportunistic feeder on small fishes, cephalopods, amphipods, and euphausiids.