Can anyone identify this fella?

[arpie]

Hi guys

A buddy caught a nice 69cm flattie last weekend and put it in his livewell til he could get to solid ground to measure it - and it had spat up this 15cm fish! Initially I thought it looked like a small flattie, but the shape was all wrong! A hybrid, maybe??

Any ideas?

Many thanks

Roberta

[user1829]

Hi guys

A buddy caught a nice 69cm flattie last weekend and put it in his livewell til he could get to solid ground to measure it - and it had spat up this 15cm fish! Initially I thought it looked like a small flattie, but the shape was all wrong! A hybrid, maybe??

Any ideas?

Many thanks

Roberta

are its fins dissolverd off or something?

[Black Bandit]

Hi Roberta,

Interesting looking fish.

My best guess would be Butis butis a large species of gudgeon that inhabits fresh and brackish waters.

I assume the specimen in the picture originates from an estuary on the central coast of NSW.

Butis is more of a tropical/subtropical species which would make this find even more interesting (if my ID is correct).

Send the pics to the Aust museum and they should be able to provide an accurate id for you.

Cheers

[stevefish]

sergeant baker?

[arpie]

....are its fins dissolverd off or something? ...

Hi Dave - I think it was long dead, after being in the flattie's stomach for a while, hence no 'standing up' fins!

Hi BB - i was thinking along a gudgeon line - but thought it more a Kiwi term!

Thanks for that

Roberta

...sergeant baker?.... don't think so, mate!

[Yowie]

Don't remember ever seeing one of those before, but it could be a Saury from the Saurida family, or a Lizardfish from the Synodus family. That's the best I can find.