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From: Malcolm Francis
Date: 04-03-08
Time: 08:26
Hi Wade
It is not a sea perch, it's a dwarf scorpionfish (Scorpaena papillosus) - see Plate 37 in the 3rd edition of Coastal Fishes of NZ.
The prickly fish that turned up in the far north recently was a burrfish (type of porcupine fish) Chilomycterus reticulatus. Found in Oz, it has a pelagic juvenile stage up to 20 cm long, hence the blue colouration. I think this is the secodn record for NZ. Craig Worthington sent me his photos and I got Jeff Leis at the Aust Museum in Sydney to confirm the ID.
Cheers,
Malcolm
Last changed: 04-Mar-2008