ROCK FLATHEAD / TASSEL-SNOUTED FLATHEAD

Thought it was worth mentioning that KFA champion Squidder recently caught a new species, virtually unheard of in the kayak fishing world. Maybe not the world, but two specimens in as many weeks was strange, and have never come under the gaze of the tentacled monster before. Above is an image taken by Jason of a Tassel-snouted flathead, this particular one measuring 27cm (They only grow to about 40cm). The Tasselsnout Flathead has a very large head which makes up about 40% of the length of the fish. It occurs from Queensland to Western Australia.

Obscure little fish, seen one seen them all I figured. Likened it to a flattended Red Rock Cod, not suprisingly I have since learnt that Thysanophrys cirronasa (Scientific name) is often refereed to as a Rock Flathead. With a rough size range, The species grows to 38 cm in length average. The species occurs in temperate marie waters from southern Queensland to south-western Western Australia. It has not been recorded from Tasmanian waters and is a rare catch from Victoria.

Information taken from Australian Museum online, direct link as shown below:

http://www.australianmuseum.net.au/Tasselsnout-Flathead-Thysanophrys-cirronasa/

• Alternative Name/s
  Rock Flathead, Tassel-snouted Flathead
  
  
• Identification
  The Tasselsnout Flathead has a very large head which makes up about 40% of the length of the fish. The head has well developed spines but no scales. The large mouth has bands of villiform teeth on the jaws and the roof of the mouth (on the bones known as the vomer and palatines). This species has a short spiny dorsal fin and a long soft dorsal fin. The body is covered with small ctenoid scales.
  
  The colouration of the Tasselsnout Flathead is highly variable from pale brown to purple with darker saddles and markings. The first dorsal fin has a dark band on the margin (not visible in the images). All the other fins have markings including dark diagonal bands.