Caught this beast off peel is.

[roskito]

Hi fellow members ,

Was using softies off the east of peel is. near the beckon up north from shipwreck and thought i had a snag, go to the boat lifted it up thinking a hunk of coral , then it moves. ugliest fish i ever seen and looked dodgy so i used a towel underneath and got my hook back using some forceps, then took a pic and threw it back , later that day i find out i shouldnt have gone near it and it was a stone fish? hehe all good anyway do you guys catch these much in the bay?

thanks

Ross

[kingcray]

very rarely caught on a line, but for future reference, use a bit more than a towel when handling. You really dont want to get stung by him.

[Vitamin Sea]

Yep, it's a cut the line job that one.

[MudRiverDan]

I caught one the other day off a jetty flicking small plastics for pike.
The are ambush hunters, and sit on the bottom awaiting unsuspecting bait-fish/shrimp to pass by.

I have caught a few like this on small plastics around rocky areas.

Cheers

[Axl]

I've seen quite a few brought up in cast nets over the years nasty buggers. Certainly dont handle one again roskito cut the line mate.

[Freeeedom]

Looks like a bit spikier than the common estuarine stonefish we get in Moreton Bay. It might be one of the scorpion fish group which are also poisonous and include the bullrout and the lion fish.
Here's an estuarine stonefish caught at Bribie - it didn't make it into the boat!
Cheers Freeeedom

[tunaticer]

These stonefish are not an uncommon capture on lines in SEQ. Last year i caught three on plastics off Scarborough beach to Queens Beach area, and one this weekend (yesterday morning in the predawn twilight). I have also caught them in the Pine river twice, once in Burpengary Creek, several in the Bribie Passage and one big one (about 1.5kg) in Eurimbula Creek just north of 1770 that took a 4" deep diver lure on the troll.
They are one fish that I do not handle and usually cut the line on.
I am also amazed we are not seeing more kids being stung by them wading about the Redcliffe foreshores as there are plenty in the shallows there as well as big numbers of Blue ring occies.

[MudRiverDan]

I used a pair of Alvey graphite pliers to remove the hook.

Don't be afraid of a bit of pain,, it builds character ;D

Cheers

Dan

[Axl]

I used a pair of Alvey graphite pliers to remove the hook.

Don't be afraid of a bit of pain,, it builds character ;D

Cheers

Dan


Some great advice there mate well done:-?.

[Funchy]

Ok I hope Wayno60 is taking notes here on the more humane way to handle stonefish :D

[Spoon1337]

I thought stings by these can be fatal? No $20 lure is worth that.

[roskito]

THis fish was fairly skinny in the body , similar to a 50cm flathead body , but was only 30cm long max. it did have little beady eyes seperate to the body and does look like an estuary stonefish i have seen in pictures , maybe it was just a younger specimen? definately wont handle one again

[phantomphisher]

I got one nearing 60cm off the amity point jetty in a cast net.... didn't think they even grew that big

[justjack]

its a scorpianfish, most likely small scaled or eastern red variety

[AnthonyL]

Had a bloke stand on one of these at Coochie when I was on roster at VMR. He came into the pontoon in bad pain with a swollen leg. Called the ambos who came and took him to hospital. His wife was left with boat so hooked the boat up for her and I followed her home from Vicky Pt to Tingalpa to make sure she was ok getting the boat put away.

[roskito]

I got myself a marine fish guide and i find its actually a 'long snouted stingerfish'. picture looks identical. very similar to the stone fish and scorpion fish. its also toxic but not as bad as the stone fish.

[snapperbasher]

Think you will find it is a bearded ghoul.... Possibly the same fish as your 'Long snouted stingerfish' haven't heard of them called that before though.

Cheers Lochie.

[roskito]

just googled it and yep same fish , same name Inimicus didactylus. its a member of the stonefish family so you could basically call it a stonefish just not the estuary or reef type more commonly found. theres all sorts of other names such as demon stinger and devil stinger etc... for the same one