Flathead off the beach - bluespot?

[Volitan]

I was fishing on Macmasters Beach today (land based) and caught a couple of little flathead. I didn’t look at them very closely because I wanted to get them back into the water as quickly as possible, but I was thinking they looked more like Eastern blue-spotted then the usual dusky. Is it common to catch blue-spotted from the beach?

camera phone failed, unfortunately.

cheers

V.

[Blackfish]

It may have been a "Platycephalus bassenis" 

I'm using the Latin name because if you Google Bluespot Flathead, you'll get a few with this common name.

Thats all I could think of as the "Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus" Eastern Bluespot. I thought didn't came into that shallow water.

Thats my thoughts anyway.

Buggar about the phone.

 

[GoingFishing]

I fished off manly beach in the boat (close enough to hear microphone from sports activities) and have caught blue spots and tiger so yes definately possible 

[Penguin]

I have caught the odd one off the beach in Botany bay.

 

[Volitan]

I went back to Macmasters for a quick session today and caught one of the same. Took a close look. Definitely a Southern Blue Spotted Flathead (P. caeruleopunctatus) . 

Realised I’ve caught a lot of these before but not looked closely - always small.

otherwise, a very quite day on the beach, unless you’re into catching undersize fish.

Some large swallowtail dart about.

The kahawai (salmon) that we’re hitting the beach have moved on.

Cheers

Arron

Edited July 4, 2018 by Volitan