Help with identifying this fish!

[Gengar]

Spent a night at a friend's place and the boys chucked in a crab net from their jetty. Wasn't really expecting to get anything but caught this monster. Not sure what it is but it's got no scale and very slippery. Google lens suggest it's a eel tailed catfish. Is that right? Is it edible? Cheers all.

[Green Hornet]

I’ve always known them as eel tailed catfish, though there may be a more “proper” name. Either way they’re ugly suckers.

[Gengar]

3 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

I’ve always known them as eel tailed catfish, though there may be a more “proper” name. Either way they’re ugly suckers.

Cheers thanks for confirming! They sure are ugly and I want to throw it back but the boys are curious in seeing what it tastes. Have you tried eating one?

[Gengar]

Convinced the boys to throw it back! Yay! Thanks all guys!

[Green Hornet]

2 hours ago, Gengar said:

Cheers thanks for confirming! They sure are ugly and I want to throw it back but the boys are curious in seeing what it tastes. Have you tried eating one?

God no!!! I won’t even touch the buggers.
Anything gross and slimy like that or eels get cut off at water’s edge.

[Blackfish]

Official "Common" name is an Estuary Cobbler. But Eel tail Catfish or I know them as Estuary Catfish. Not the prettiest critter.

They have some very nasty spikes on the Pectoral and Dorsal fins. Very Painful so be careful. 

[noelm]

Yep, Cobbler, but most just call them Catfish, or Eel Tailed Catfish, regardless of name, they fit into the "ugly fish"  category for me, and they go back, like Toads, Pike, any of the Wrasse family, Wirrah, all throw backs for me, don't care about their eating qualities.

Edited December 31, 2022 by noelm
Typo

[Bluebenbomb]

3 hours ago, Gengar said:

Cheers thanks for confirming! They sure are ugly and I want to throw it back but the boys are curious in seeing what it tastes. Have you tried eating one?

I have seen people on youtube eating them... apparently deep-frying is a good option, but it's still a no for me.

[Yowie]

With a face and a mouth like that, how could you eat it?   🤣

When I was a youngster, I speared a few rock cale, cut one open and the smell is why I call them shitfish. A shit sandwich would be tastier.

[noelm]

22 minutes ago, Yowie said:

With a face and a mouth like that, how could you eat it?   🤣

When I was a youngster, I speared a few rock cale, cut one open and the smell is why I call them shitfish. A shit sandwich would be tastier.

I think we all speared one of those in our youth, you only try eating one once......prefer to starve than to eat one! We used to spear fish and cook on the rocks, they were off the menu permanently.

[Gengar]

8 hours ago, Bluebenbomb said:

I have seen people on youtube eating them... apparently deep-frying is a good option, but it's still a no for me.

I found people on youtube eating them as well hence thought maybe they were edible but yeah too ugly for me to eat!

[big Neil]

3 hours ago, Gengar said:

I found people on youtube eating them as well hence thought maybe they were edible but yeah too ugly for me to eat!

There is a freshwater version which is called an EEL TAILED CATFISH (Tandanus tandanus). These are very good on the plate, in my opinion.

bn