What fish is this?

Mud · Post by **Mud** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:45 am

Well I reckon its a bat fish but every where I go from fishing charters to dinner at the wharf I hear people calling them moonies (moonfish). I thought moonfish were rounder?

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:37 pm

doesn't look like a moony but im no expert . could it be a permit?

tezza1 · Post by **tezza1** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:21 pm

It is known by several names including silver moonfish,butter-bream and butterfish.Scientific name is monodactylidae argenteus.

fishfanatic · Post by **fishfanatic** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:13 am

Trust Mud to catch something different - it's a pirahna of course

4x4xfar · Post by **4x4xfar** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:47 am

It's definetly not a Batfish, Moonfish or a Permit.

It is most commonly and simply refered to as a Mono, derived from the first part of its scientific name monodactylus

nomad · Post by **nomad** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:06 am

Is there an online resource where we can identify fish?
I used to have a squillion fish books but because I travel a lot, I couldn’t take them with me

Mud · Post by **Mud** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:38 pm

Thanks all for your comments.

Tezza and 4x4xfar I think you are right but I used a poor photo which shows a similar fish common in Queensland. It is not a bat or moonfish like you say. My bad.

I think that the situation may go something like this....

The correct name for the fish is Batfish. See the first photo below.

However it does resemble a Moonfish. See the second photo below.

Because they are both roundish (sorry Moonfish and Batfish but you are) the word "Moon" fish comes more readily to mind when one comes over the side.

Over time Batfish begin to get called Moonfish by the general population. Magazines start to carelessly use the word reinforcing the mistake. Respected publications like Grants recognise the the error and try to account for it by putting Moonfish in brackets beside Batfish. Later editions simply put Batfish and Moonfish without the brackets.

In this way the names of things change. Indeed I read somewhere a similar thing happened to the Barramundi. The fish that the indigenous communities referred to as the Barramundi is in fact the Saratoga...(big scales) but settlers confused this fish with the fish we now call Barramundi.....which should in fact be called the Giant Perch.

You might think that this sort of pedantry is somewhat anal. You would be right.

Cheers
Mud

XXtreme · Post by **XXtreme** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:41 pm

I thought that Moonfish and Batfish are one of the same - just different names for the same fish?

Is this not the case?

Mud · Post by **Mud** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:50 pm

No not at all XXtreme. The name Moonfish has been used incorrectly to describe Batfish to the point where now people think they are the same fish. As you can see from the pics they are very different. Both good eating I think. A lot of people throw batfish back but I love a big one baked with lemon, sweet chilli sauce, garlic, pepper and sea salt.....mmmmmmmm

As for the names, I dont think we can hold back the tide. Too many people call Batfish "Moonies" now so I just nod and smile.....and throw the Moonie another chip whilst quietly bidding farewell to the Batfish.

sarrge · Post by **sarrge** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 2:14 pm

That first picture looks like a Sweep......

Toxic · Post by **Toxic** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:54 pm

Moonfish are ok eating , but I dont think I've ever seen one without worms! Mud , You must have too much time on yer hands!!! You sound like you need more fishin.

jimbobbolty · Post by **jimbobbolty** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:41 pm

Mud you are partially right with the barramundi thing but not quite

In aboriginal language barramundi means 'fish with big scales'

Although it was commonly used to describe three fish

Scleropages leichardti (saratoga)

Neoceratodus forsteri (Queensland Lung Fish)

and Lates calcarifer (Barramundi)

but now it is used exclusively for Lates Calcarifer

nomad · Post by **nomad** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:50 pm

I've always thought that barramundi was an aboriginal word but yesterday I was at the museum (yeah yeah I know, but I had to meet someone there) and they had several specimens of fish on display. They had another aboriginal word for the barra on display in an aboriginal language. Can't recall what it was (that was yesterday) but it wasn’t barramundi - I was surprised
It might just have been another dialect

Pecheur · Post by **Pecheur** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:43 am

Hi Nomad,

There is nothing wrong with going to the museum you know...
I work there.

And the number of things that I learned since I started to work there is really big.

They have an absolute amazing collection of fish, deep sea shells and other marine creatures.
Not all on display but still an amazing collection.
And it is a place where you can bring some fish or other animal for a free ID.

And when you work there, you can even go for a bit of fishing during your lunch break, being so close to the sea as some advantage...

Have a good day,
Pecheur

nomad · Post by **nomad** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:10 am

I went there to meet my niece for coffee and did a walk through while I was there to cool off.
My luck is that if I took a fish in for an i/d, I would get nailed for removing a prohibited fish
my memory is shot so can you check the other name I was thinking about for a barra?