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What fish/shark is it?
http://southernfreedivers.org.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1427
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Author:  simonthefisherman [ 25 May 2009, 13:51 ]
Post subject:  What fish/shark is it?

Hi

Can anyone help me identify a fish/shark from cape schank?
Its about half a meter long, browny/gray and looks like a tiny shark. Its not flat but flatish and it swims along the ocean floor, i've never seen it in mid water. I have looked everywhere for a picture of it, but can't find it or its name. It looks a bit like a wobbegong shark without the funny bits hanging from its mouth.

There are lots around cape schank so anyone who has been diving there must have seen pleanty. Does anyone know its name and if its edible?

thanks and sorry for my crap description.

Author:  Lethal [ 25 May 2009, 13:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Image
This it???

Swell shark - Not very tasty at all..

Author:  Claymore [ 25 May 2009, 15:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Swell Shark, also known by most line fishos as a Draughtboard Shark. Apparently they aren't too bad to eat if frozen for a couple of weeks prior to eating (ammonia in the flesh), but I don't bother. There are also lots of dog sharks around, dark coloured, long and thin. Similar story eating wise to the swell shark, again I wouldn't bother. A month or so ago I did see a wobbegong swimming around (surprising as they are almost always found sitting on the bottom), they are very good to eat, most of the flake you buy is wobbygong (bag limit 1, no size limit, protected in NSW).

Wobbegong pic caught last year, report on fishnet
Image

Author:  Mr. Jono [ 25 May 2009, 18:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Sounds like a swell/draughtboard shark. Saw one about 1.2m at the schanck on saturday, they're good fun to pick up behind the head and swim at your dive buddy with :lol: . Although 1.2m might be a little large to play with for us mere mortals.

Author:  paddyfish [ 25 May 2009, 18:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

wow wobbys are ugly!
i have never seen one

Author:  surfcoastspearo [ 25 May 2009, 20:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Leave both species alone, Take a pic instead. I hardly ever see dog sharks, I do see epaulet shark's a lot though. A lot of the flake you buy is in fact school shark or gummy, wobby's are sold too from by catch but certainly do not make the bulk of flake sales. Some ones been reading wiki too much...
Your swell shark friends have lil fine sharp teeth on them so don't let it attach itself to you :lol: And keeps you hands well away from wobby's there toothy bastards :!:

Author:  simonthefisherman [ 26 May 2009, 11:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Thanks everyone, narrowed it down to either draughtboard shark or port jackson shark.
There were quite a few around, is one more common than the other?
If it was a port jackson are they protected or edible?

I'll have to go again to have a closer look at them cause i can't tell which one it was now, they look similar to me.

thanks for the help

Author:  Mr. Jono [ 26 May 2009, 12:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Port jacksons are a grey coulour with very dark almost black thick lines running over the body. I use the word lines loosely, its almost like a camo patterny look. They also have fairly prominent crests above the eyes. i saw one port jackson and one draughtboard at the schanck on sat, both very large for their species.

Author:  Claymore [ 26 May 2009, 16:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

A pic from Scuba Equipment USA, the ones around vic look very similar.
Image

Just be carful if you are going to grab them, they have two wicked venomous spines in the leading edge of their dorsal fins. Other than that they are harmless.

Author:  Lethal [ 26 May 2009, 17:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Quote:
There were quite a few around, is one more common than the other?
If it was a port jackson are they protected or edible?


They are both very common, though PJ's are more commonly found under ledges and Swelly's swim around..

Neither are protected, both are edible, both taste crap. Don't bother targeting either, because the fish you can find in the areas that these sharks are commonly encountered are much better eating and more difficult to hunt than sharks you can grab by hand.

Author:  Mr. Jono [ 26 May 2009, 20:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

I don't grab the pj's just the swell sharks, makes a boring dive a bit more fun, strong little buggers, don't think I'd grab anything over about 2ft. but who knows, I might become a bit more of a risk taker :lol:

Author:  Seed of Hero [ 30 Jun 2009, 18:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Mr Jono- Your title should be Hero. Bet you tell all your mates at work that you wrestle sharks. Hahaha

Author:  surfcoastspearo [ 30 Jun 2009, 18:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

so if your seed of hero that means Jono did your mum & he's your father? Sounds like he was wrestling more then sharks!

Author:  Seed of Hero [ 01 Jul 2009, 16:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

tvolke- Correct and she loved it

Author:  morgan2478 [ 02 Jul 2009, 00:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: What fish/shark is it?

Tvolke = oh snap!

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