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By Author: Mark McGrouther

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Mating Coffin Rays

Roger Lee from the Diving Organisation of University of Technology Sydney (DOUTS) captured this terrific footage of Coffin Rays mating.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 23 Mar 2012

Longhead Flathead, <em>Leviprora inops</em>

This week in Fish: Fish eyes through the lens

Among other great images, we have posted photos of the eyes of a Longhead Flathead and a Smalltooth Flounder. The images were not taken with fish eye lenses :). Nearly all species of fishes have eyes, but some don't.  We've provided some links to information on blind fishes plus one link to an Australian species that is blind-in-name-only.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 16 Mar 2012

John Pogonoski - 2012

This week in Fish: Sawfish saw in action

"Sawfish seen in action" might sound more grammatically correct than "Sawfish saw in action", but if you click on the link below you'll see why I've given the blog post that name. Thank you as always to everyone who contributed images and comments during the week.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 09 Mar 2012

Green Sawfish, <em>Pristis zijsron</em>

Sawfish saw in action

This movie clip shows a sawfish feeding. Sawfishes can slash from side to side with the rostrum to stun, impale or even cut prey fishes in half.  The rostrum can also pin fishes to the substrate where they are ingested.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 06 Mar 2012

Illustration of a larval Basslet

Larval basslet movies

Fishes of the genus Liopropoma have have extremely long ornate second and third dorsal fin spines during their pelagic larval phase. This ornamentation is lost when the larvae metamophose during the transition between open water habitat and the reefs where Liopropoma species live as adults.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 04 Mar 2012

Blackmargin Dartfish, <em>Parioglossus marginalis</em>

This week in Fish: Fan-finned mullet

This week we posted images of a strange mullet with elongated fins.  This is not the first image of a strange 'fan-finned' mullet that has been sent to the museum.  We also show an image of a rarely reported dartfish from Sydney Harbour.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 02 Mar 2012

Tapetail postlarval stage of cetomimid whalefish

Larval whalefish at Apo Island

It is exceedingly rare to see a juvenile whalefish (a tapetail) in shallow water.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 29 Feb 2012

A Common Lionfish at 'Steve's Bommie'

'Water squirting' Common Lionfish

This video is quite amazing.  It shows an unusual feeding strategy employed by Common Lionfish.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 28 Feb 2012

Warty Anglerfish, <em>Antennarius maculatus</em>

This week in fish: Warty Anglerfish

It was a 'four day week' this week so we are down an image or two from normal.  Despite that, there are still some great additions.  The Warty Anglerfish is an amazing looking fish and the Red Indian Fish has always been one of my favourites.  This week's blog post, 'Grey Carpetshark senses' is certainly worth a look.  Thank you as always to our contributors.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 26 Feb 2012

Epaulette Shark, <em>Hemiscyllium ocellatum</em>

Grey Carpetshark senses

In this movie, Ryan Kempster, shark biologist at the University of Western Australia, talks about the senses and survival strategy of the Grey Carpetshark, Chiloscyllium punctatum. Other common names for the species include the Bamboo Shark and Brown-banded Catshark.

By: Mark McGrouther, Category: Science, Date: 21 Feb 2012