Creature washed up on Queensland beach causes confusion
A fish washed up on a Sunshine Coast beach has raised a few eyebrows with people speculating what it actually is.
A woman snapped the fish at Noosa North Shore and shared a photo of it on Facebook on Wednesday.
“Anyone know what kind of fish this is?” she wrote.
Some people suggested it was simply a flathead. Dusky flatheads are normally found off Australia’s east coast.
Others thought it could be a stargazer. Stargazers are normally found in southern parts of Queensland and along the south coast line through to Western Australia.
They sometimes bite divers who go into waters at night, according to the Australian Museum.
While people questioned and threw more suggestions at the species, some were more preoccupied with the fish’s teeth.
“Someone wants their dentures back,” one woman wrote.
Another woman joked the fish has “cleaner teeth” than she does.
“It’s not a stone fish it’s a stoner fish hence the smile,” another woman wrote.
Why the find might actually be delicious
As for what species it is, Professor Culum Brown, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University, confirmed to Yahoo News Australia the species is a stargazer.
“In New Zealand they call them monkfish,” he said.
“But it’s not the standard species that we get along the southeast coast.
“This looks more like the larger New Zealand species which is really common around the south island.
“(It) wouldn’t be too unusual for them to show up on the east coast of Australia though.”
Professor Brown added he believes the one pictured is a giant stargazer.
A different species of fish, also known as monkfish, inhabit waters in the northern hemisphere and are often confused with the fish swimming in New Zealand waters.
While it might not be the most appealing fish to look at, the monkfish don’t taste bad.
It was referred to as “poor man’s lobster,” by Stuff.co.nz in 2011.
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