Fish ID? :D

[UndersizeBreamKing]

Hey guys, while practicing my casting with my new curado/lumis combo I managed to foul hook this bloke just in front of his tail at POB! Have no friggen idea what it is, went 42cm when it was laying still. It is leathery not scaly to.. Ideas? Had a bit of power to him by the way he was hooked to, thought it felt funny when it was fighting haha
Also included a shot of a tuna head next to my size 9 boot, is it just me or is that a big head? lol

[Jtran96]

ben it's a scat i use to breed them back in darwin when i was fully into salt water tank's. I am sure you will see them around boat ramps or pondtoon's during the day or at night with a flash light =)

[UndersizeBreamKing]

ahh ok, pretty sweet lookin fish actually!
Thanks, just googled it, striped scat!

[Mick Baker]

looks a bit like a black trevally or "happy moments"

[UndersizeBreamKing]

happys are scaly tho arent they?

[Young Gun]

Yea thats a banned/striped scat or also know as a "wife" fish.... I've been told they aren't bad chew'in

[UndersizeBreamKing]

Ah ok cool, cheers guys!

[gecko]

Banded Scat, beware of poisonous spines. related to John Dory. Edible if your game.

[Snodger]

hmmmm looks like a barra to me
Sorry couldnt resist

[obi_wan]

Ben, Ern Grant, the chap who started Grants Guide to Fishes (Bible) calls them Striped Butterfish, also John Dory, not to be confused with the Southern John Dory which is a highly prized table fish. Grant says these fish are edible but should be looked after and eaten fresh. They are usually caugh in nets, some of QLD pro fisho's have got into strife when sending them to the Sydney fish markets ending with a letter of condemnation note and a bill for freight in place of a cheque, because they called the fish John Dory. The true John Dory of the Soutrhern water has a huge telescopic mouth whereas theStripedbutter fish has a very small mouth, hence the reason why it is caught mainly in nets Yes they will give you a painful wound,the stripedbutter fish that is, hot water is the answer to relieve the pain.
My son used to catch them in his cast net in the Pine River, bring them home alive and slowly change them over to live in fresh water, some aquariums were offering money for the fish after being changed over to fresh water. There is another fish called the Spotted Butterfish and the SCAT of the aquarists, when small it is from, bright pale yellow to glowing golden -brown, flushed with red, the adults are brownish-grey, strongly flushed with lilac. This fish is more rounded than the Stripedbutter fish, it too is to be handled with care. Locally both are called SCATS.

Mick, The happy moment is a Black Spinefoot, Black Trevally, Stinging Bream, all the same fish, is a totally different looking fish to the one Ben caught.

Cheers,
John.