Named after the dragons of Chinese mythology, leafy seadragons resemble a piece of drifting seaweed as they float along, and are covered with leaf-like appendages which serve as camouflage. Only the fluttering of tiny fins or the moving of independently swivelling eyes, reveal its presence. These creatures are found around southern and western Australia and generally remain in shallow, temperate waters.
The Atlantic Sailfish gets it's name from it's spectacular dorsal fin and is often used to shepherd smaller fish near the surface, making them easy prey. The sailfish is known to be the fastest fish in the ocean; more than 110 kilometers per hour .
The juvenile African Pompano is easily identified due to it's threadfin appearance of long trailing anal and dorsal fin filaments which recede with age. The African Pompano is distributed throughout the tropical oceans and seas of the world.
The spotfin lionfish is venomous and capable of delivering a painful injection from its pelvic, pectoral and dorsal fins. It is a tropical species that is found in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from depths of 5 metres to at least 40 metres, on rocky and coral reefs. Spotfin lionfish are captured and sold as aquarium pets, but their venomous spines make them difficult and /or dangerous pets.
The brook trout is a popular game fish with anglers, particularly fly fishers. Today, many anglers practice catch-and-release tactics to preserve remaining brook trout populations. Organizations such as Trout Unlimited have been in the forefront of efforts to institute air and water quality standards sufficient to protect the brook trout. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout. Though commonly called a trout, the brook trout is actually a char.
The Weedy Seadragon occurs from the
central New South Wales coast around the south coast of Australia to south-western Western Australia.This superbly camouflaged fish usually occurs in kelp-covered rocky reefs at depths from about 3 m to 50 m. The leaf-shaped appendages and cryptic colouration of this species provide effective camouflage, allowing them to feed on small crustaceans.
The roosterfish characterized by its spectacular rooster comb, is one of the worlds most exotic fish species. The first dorsal fin has seven spines that retract into a groove; it may have a signal function, or it may be used in maneuvering when attacking prey. It is a prized game fish, common in waters surrounding Mexico, from the Gulf of California to Panama, and the eastern Pacific, from California to Peru. The most striking feature of the flying fish is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to take short gliding flights above the water surface, to escape from their predators.
The brook trout is a popular game fish with anglers, particularly fly fishers. Today, many anglers practice catch-and-release tactics to preserve remaining brook trout populations. Organizations such as Trout Unlimited have been in the forefront of efforts to institute air and water quality standards sufficient to protect the brook trout. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout. Though commonly called a trout, the brook trout is actually a char.
