Fish ID - Balmain (Eastern Frogfish)

[Mike Sydney]

Hi team,

I caught this stunning beauty on a diesel MinnowZ at Balmain East this evening. I thought it might have been a pufferfish but it didn’t inflate once on land like the previous one I caught. 
It did croak like a frog though. 

Any ideas? Is it a species of puffer? 
 

Thanks, Mike

[Restyle]

looks like a frogfish 

[Yowie]

Looks like an Eastern Frogfish.

No beard, might be female. 😁

[Blackfish]

Agree with everyone, Eastern Frogfish. The Tasseled beard is there though when they are out of water they just fold against the mouth being so fine and soft. The second photo you can see them.

Red rock Cod have fleshy flaps on their body to help camouflage and stick up when in the water but you never these when they are out of the water.

As for being a Female @Yowie 😄 it may be as you suggested or the grumpy face 🤔....... but I'm not going there. 🤐

 

[Little_Flatty]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sydney said:

Hi team,

I caught this stunning beauty on a diesel MinnowZ at Balmain East this evening. I thought it might have been a pufferfish but it didn’t inflate once on land like the previous one I caught. 
It did croak like a frog though. 

Any ideas? Is it a species of puffer? 
 

Thanks, Mike

My vote is for a stargazer or frogfish of sorts. @Blackfish will be able to be more specific.

Never seen them caught on lures.

[Mike Sydney]

Thanks @Little_Flatty I’d not heard of either of those. I think you might be right though - an Eastern Frogfish, which most definitely croaks like a frog!

[Mike Sydney]

Thanks. I note this one has no “beard”, from what i see the Eastern Frogfish looks identical but with a beard to attract prey. Here is a photo of the underside too. 

[dirvin21]

Definitely a frogfish

[Yowie]

2 hours ago, Blackfish said:

As for being a Female @Yowie 😄 it may be as you suggested or the grumpy face 🤔....... but I'm not going there. 🤐

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

21 hours ago, Yowie said:

[Yowie]

1 hour ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

Good, I'm heading off in the van early next week and away for a few weeks, passing through NSW, SA and VIC before heading home. I'll leave the fish for Swordie to catch.

[mrsswordfisherman]

11 minutes ago, Yowie said:

Good, I'm heading off in the van early next week and away for a few weeks, passing through NSW, SA and VIC before heading home. I'll leave the fish for Swordie to catch.

He is fixated on catching Hairtail atm

Have a good trip 

[Little_Flatty]

On 4/26/2022 at 10:05 PM, Mike Sydney said:

Thanks. I note this one has no “beard”, from what i see the Eastern Frogfish looks identical but with a beard to attract prey. Here is a photo of the underside too. 

Interesting, I've never thought to turn one over for a look. Every time we've caught one we've been in a hurry to get it back! Thanks for sharing.

[slothparade]

green / moldy stone fish 🤣

in all seriuosness, there any relation to the stone fish? they look to be very simillar and possibly in the same family 

[Mike Sydney]

@slothparadethats what I initially thought and so didn’t touch it and cut the line. But they are not related species , but rather a part of the toadfish family which also includes puffers. 
They both hit every branch of the ugly tree though that’s for sure !