wot the...?

[tonyb 1,017]

Anybody know what this little bloke's called? Caught off Seacliffe on cockle, it has a bony skeleton which completely encases its body apart from where its tail section comes out. tonyb

[Goldie 0]

Looks like it maybe from the puffer family at a glance

[swamp 1]

Looks like a Cow fishI thought the same thing when i caught one at Victor Harbour. They are one weird fish, rock hard.

[Gaffer 0]

Yeah it's an Ornate Cowfish for sure mate.Perty little creatures aint they.

[coonta kinta 1]

yes ornate they are and if you wanna c them make like a bath toy. place them upside down on a flat surface and watch

[Brooksey_134 1]

i thought they were called trigger fish? is this another name for them? ???

[coonta kinta 1]

Nah Brooksey, trigger fish is a name used to describe a type of leatherjacket

[crocka79 0]

Yeah perty looking things they are, got one down hallet cove last year too ;D

[luke_westlakes 4]

Yeah thats a cow fish and if u want to see another theres million's of them in the lake.... they look funny when u try and release them, they seem to get stuck on the surface and cant swim away.... hehe

[kayakfisher 0]

We call them a boxfish, but I have heard them been called a cowfish befor. I always try and release unwanted fish very quickly but I can't resist turning one upside down on the deck for just a few seconds!

[tonyb 1,017]

Looks like a Cow fishI thought the same thing when i caught one at Victor Harbour. They are one weird fish, rock hard.

Hey, Swamp, your fish makes mine look kinda plain, must be a sex difference, wonder which is which? I suppose if it was a cow fish we should look for it's udder :icon_e_geek: :icon_e_wink:

[O2Catch1 170]

And you are not supposed to handle them any more than necessary, apparently they release a toxin through their skin when stressed. Always wash your hands after handling one of these little crittersSwamp definitely has male ornate cowfish (spotted body with stripes near the tail)The one Tonyb has is a female Ornate cowfish I reckon.Waterboy's is a Male Shaw's Cowfish.

[tonyb 1,017]

Wow O2, you're a walking encyclaepedia, where did you pick all that up from mate?

[benny 1]

Tonyb's fish is a male Ornate Cowfish and Swamps's and Waterboy's fish are female Shaws I know this as they annoy you in some spots, pretty but.

[tonyb 1,017]

Hey guys,Just found my long lost field guide called SEA FISHES of SouthernAustralia (Barry Hutchins and Roger Swainston)and that seems to clear all the confusion with these strange little guys/dolls.My Shaws Cowfish is a girl while WB's Shaws Cowfish is a boy.Swamp's is a boy ornate cowfish as the girl is striped like the Shaws, but has the yellow coloured belly.Confused? see if you can get a hold of this field guide it's a beauty with lots of great diagnostic piccies too. Can't tell you the price as one of my five adoring offspring bought it for me for Xmas 1996.Cheers, tonyb.