~60Cm, Green Top, Black-Tailed Pelagic, Lavender Bay

[ginko]

While eating lunch, on a rising tide beside Lavender Bay, I saw a large fish, about ~60cm, green/bluish top, and very similar to a rat kingfish in size and shape. But the back 20% of the fish was jet-black, from about its anal fin backwards and including the tail. From what I could see, the bottom/front of the fish by its pectoral fins was the same green/bluish colour. It was zipping along, just like a kingie, hunting bait fish in shallow water, less than 2m deep. There were no others evident in the area.

Sorry no pic - it only went by once.

Any ideas?

[Ray R]

That could have been a Frigate mackeral from your description, they like zipping through the shallows chasing prey..

[Jewhunter]

It could also have been a big Tailor.

They're not called 'greenbacks' for nothing!

Cheers,

Grant.

[DGF]

id say tailor too

[ginko]

hmm, I think it wasn't a frigate makckeral - the shape was more close to a tailor - especially the tail. But the colour was different than tailors I've seen and caught - this was not the shiny green green of tailor, but more bluish green, and the back end of the fish was really black. (there was a clear line where the colour changed). I've been through my 420 page "Coastal Fishes of South Eastern Australia" and couldn't see any thing that matched the fish today.

[Berleyguts]

On Friday, I was having lunch (work paid ) at the Newport Arms Hotel and looking down into Pittwater, I saw fish similar to your description ripping through schools of bait close to shore. I called them for big tailor. They had me fascinated. There was a clear delineation of a black tail and the top of the fish was bluey-green. Tailor are called bluefish in the USA....

Baz

[Ray R]

Could it have been a cobia, they are blackish at the end and are also more of a solitary feeder..

[Guest]

It was proabaly a bonito as they are around atm

Cheers Stewy

[david88]

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works but have a look at a picture of a young yellowfin tuna and tell me what you think.

Not looking to fire up rumours but i think i know what i saw on sunday evening zipping around darling point.. and with sightings reported in the hacking maybe could just be... or maybe i had one too many beers?

[ginko]

!!! I think it was a cobia. See attached pic. The colours in the attached (from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f3/Cobia_at_New_England_Aquarium.jpg/180px-Cobia_at_New_England_Aquarium.jpg) are a really good match to the fish I saw, even with a black tail (although on mine the blackness extended more onto the body). Looking through the google image search, it seems there is a fair bit of variation on cobia's colouration as they mature. A quick search in fishraider has revealed a few catches in estuaries, lakes and even rivers, so they might be in Lavender Bay.

[Berleyguts]

On Friday, I was having lunch (work paid ) at the Newport Arms Hotel and looking down into Pittwater, I saw fish similar to your description ripping through schools of bait close to shore. I called them for big tailor. They had me fascinated. There was a clear delineation of a black tail and the top of the fish was bluey-green. Tailor are called bluefish in the USA....

Baz

On second thoughts, the fish I saw below the Newport Arms on Frioday may have been kings, with the solid yellow tail appearing dark from so far up.

It's possible the Lavendar Bay fish was a cobia. I remember a club member catching one in Swansea Channel on 2kg while spinning for flathead - he had quite a time chasing that fish under the bridge!

Baz

Edited March 10, 2010 by Berleyguts

[scottyboy]

hey folks just a thought could the good old northen bluefins bee on there annual holiday to our waters

[s9657bd]

Going by the description , with the black - definatley Cobia