colourful drummer?

[tide'n'knots]

Hi guys while I was at the entrance social on the weekend, i caught a fish from near the rocks at towoon bay. At first I thought I had landed a drummer or rock blackfish but upon closer inspection in the dark i realised that this fish was coloured more like a coral trout - pink and green flecks all over including the fins on a dark green/grey background. It had pink lines around the eyes also. If it was black you would amost swear it was a drummer.Unfortunately like a fool I went to wash the sand from the fish to have a better look, thinking I had a good grip in the gills, but as soon as the fish hit the water it kicked and escaped!!GRRR! so consequently no photos.Does anyone have an idea as to what this fish may have been? I have never seen one before and it really has me stumped.

pete.

[bucko48]

may be a small brown groper had to sy with out seeing

[wannabefisho]

I reckon prob a juvi groper too. would have loved to have seen a piccie of it.

Anthony

[tide'n'knots]

sorry guys Ive caught heaps of groper over the years and this was definately not a groper! It was vertually a drummer that was colourful, so I am thinking something in the same family with pink and green speckles.

The other thing is that this wasnt a juvinile fish it was getting up around the 3lb mark and very solid.

If someone can find a picture in a book somewhere that would be great.

pete.

Edited April 12, 2011 by tide'n'knots

[tide'n'knots]

can anyone put up a photo of a bluefish????so I can have a look, possibly this was what it was.

pete.

[ron.c]

can anyone put up a photo of a bluefish????so I can have a look, possibly this was what it was.

pete.

have a look here this may help.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/sw-species/bluefish

[Tilba]

Hi Pete, Try googling Maori wrasse and select the images section, I reckon you might spot it in amongst those Pics.

Doggo

[Woobwoob]

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/58227/Bluefish-Primefact-159-final.pdf

Scroll down the page, photo near the bottom.

[rosesayshi]

Edited April 28, 2011 by fish fingers

[tide'n'knots]

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/58227/Bluefish-Primefact-159-final.pdf

Scroll down the page, photo near the bottom.

thanks guys, I am pretty sure that it was a bluefish however the one I caught was more olive green and not bright blue although it was at night so that could explain the different colouration.It was identical in shape and looks however mine had spots on the fins also. Lucky it escaped as they are protected!!

pete.

Edited April 28, 2011 by tide'n'knots

[Krispy !]

It could've been one of these black rabbitfish http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Black-Rabbitfish-Siganus-fuscescens/

[andrew.bb]

Attached is photo of Bluefish I caught on Lord Howe Island, maybe it can help shed some light on your mystery fish, my understanding is they are extremely rare on Aussie mainland. Also they vary in colour from vivid blue to varying shades of green.

[tide'n'knots]

Attached is photo of Bluefish I caught on Lord Howe Island, maybe it can help shed some light on your mystery fish, my understanding is they are extremely rare on Aussie mainland. Also they vary in colour from vivid blue to varying shades of green.

My memory of the fish is a little vague now but looking at your photo I am not totally convinced, Your photo looks more like a silver drummer.It was very similar but the tail was broader more like a rock blackfish, and there appeared to be pink and blue flecks through the fish even on the fins - serves me right for being an idiot and not washing it in a rockpool!! maybe I will never know for sure.

pete

Edited June 1, 2011 by tide'n'knots

[taloyoak]

Silver Drummer for sure!

[rikkigilbey]

sometimes fish sport different colours at night and day and thus can appear a different species, as an example a fish i worked with in the med, the dentex, looks like this in the day

and the very same fish looks like this at night

im not an expert on the black rockfsh but it could be a case if diurnal fluctuation in colour, which occurs in many fish many of which you would never know.

Gilbey