Grunting Fish?

[Terror-Glen]

Hey all,

I know this is gonna be a bit vague, especially with no photos to show.

Fishing in Newcastle Harbour the other week while down there (without my camera unfortunately), i caught a little fish similar in body shape to a striped grunter, but he was a nice light golden top with dark grey tiger stripes down his body fading to an iridescent white belly. The more unusual thing was he was making some kind of grunting noise while i was getting the hook out, i wasnt really paying attention and thought it may be his jaw scraping on my mat, but when i picked him up to throw him back, he was definitely making a grunting/croaking noise. I googled when i got home with no luck whatsoever? Anyone know of what fish it may have been? Or what fish make grunting noises even...

[omg_the_funky_shit@hotmail.com]

we catch alot of those in lake mac i always thought they were called trumpeter fish...dont quote me on that tho..

[Ray R]

G'day buddy, did he look like this, if so then it was an Eastern Trumpeter..

[Trapper Tom]

G'day Terror

Absolutely a Trumpeter

Ray R nailed it.

Yes T dog, stacks of em in Lake Mac.

As kids when you caught em you gave a couple of shakes up and down to make them grunt more.

Laughs all round from the then kids in the boat.

Never ate one though always released, were always a bit small for a good feed.

Cheers

Trapper Tom

[Terror-Glen]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your input and suggestions.

They were similar body shape and colouring to the trumpeter, but the stripes ran vertically rather than horizontally and the fins had a yellow colour to them. After much extensive googling (I honestly must have looked at every fish in the database), im still stumped. Ive never seen one before fishing in Sydney or in Newcastle.

Of course it happens when i dont have my camera i did take a pic with my phone but it was just about dark and you cant really see any distinctive features.