ID Fish. (Weedfish and Eastern Kelpfish)

[Chasin'tale]

 

Got a couple more fish ID pics from Jervis Bay. First one I have absolutely no idea on this small fella who I thought was a bit of seaweed on my hook. The second I don't think it's an Eastern Kelpfish as I have caught plenty of those, thinking Rock Cale but I haven't caught one before. Any help would be appreciated, thanking you in advance

[Aardvarking]

Bottom one is 100% an eastern kelpfish. Not sure about the top one

[Scratchie]

Second one is a rock cale for mind too! First one I’ve never seen! 

[frankS]

Top one looks like a " Deepwater Seaperch " but the location would be wrong, they are a deep water species as the name suggests. The large eye suggests it may be a deep water species but I doubt you would be fishing deep water.

Frank

[Chasin'tale]

Thanks for the answers guys. I was fishing of the rocks at Plantation Point, Jervis Bay. May have cast long enough to a drop off maybe. 

 

[dirvin21]

no 1 is a handfish gets its name from the small hand like fins in front pectoral fins my guess is "Australian Spotted Handfish, Brachionichthys australis"  happy to be corrected

Dave

[Chasin'tale]

Thanks mate I think you are spot on. Happy to see him swim away when I released him back into the water as they are endangered. 

[rickmarlin62]

im with you dave  handfish an a common shitty kelpfish..not rock cale...rick

[Volitan]

The top one is a rosy weedfish.

the bottom one is an Eastern kelpfish.

[Blackfish]

I was thinking of a Kelp Weedfish Volitan.

[Volitan]

1 hour ago, Blackfish said:

I was thinking of a Kelp Weedfish Volitan.

Perhaps, but looking at fishesofaustralia.net.au that species has been reported from South Western Australia to Eastern Tasmania, but not in Eastern Victoria or NSW.

Cheers

 

[Blackfish]

53 minutes ago, Volitan said:

Perhaps, but looking at fishesofaustralia.net.au that species has been reported from South Western Australia to Eastern Tasmania, but not in Eastern Victoria or NSW.

Cheers

 

Good call.

[Black Bandit]

The first fish is a crested weedfish, Cristiceps australis, very common in seagrass beds and rockpools.

Colour highly variable.

[Blackfish]

On 5/15/2018 at 3:44 PM, Black Bandit said:

The first fish is a crested weedfish, Cristiceps australis, very common in seagrass beds and rockpools.

Colour highly variable.

I was thinking either Cristiceps australis or Cristiceps aurantiacus but someone more knowledgable than I said the First Dorsal was to far back. (I've seen other photos of this fish)

[Blackfish]

First fish.

Ok, this one is hard because of Colour variations.

I've heard back from the Uni and the only definite thing it's a Weedfish.

Their closest guess is either,

1) Whitley's Weedfish, Heteroclinus 

or

2) Ogilby's Weedfish, Heteroclinus heptaeolus

Second fish is a Eastern Kelpfish, Chironemus marmoratus

Thanks for posting this up CT.