Common names
Bass Flathead, Bay Flathead, Common Flathead, Southern Sand Flathead, Sandy, Sandy Flathead, Slimy Flathead, Yanks
Sand flathead
Platycephalus bassensis
- Saltwater
Max length18 in
Length typeTotal Length
Max weight6 lb 10 oz
Depth range4 - 328 ft
Water typeSaltwater
Water temperature32 - 86 °F
Fish info
Short description
Sand flathead are sandy to pale brownish flatheads peppered with small pale to dark spots, 2-3 indistinct bands along the back towards the rear of the body, and a whitish belly. The lower half of the tail has a large dark irregular blotch, often broken up by the pale fin rays, and the upper half is covered in large brown spots or blotches. elongated and slightly flattened body with a large, flattened head which is just under one-third of the standard length and which has two clear bony ridges to the rear of the eye. There are two robust spines on the angle of the preoperculum with the lower spine being around two times longer than the upper spine. The eyes are large and have a small lappet on the iris. It has a large mouth with small canine-like teeth in the jaws and a broad patch of vomerine teeth with a thin band of palatine teeth. The first dorsal fin is short-based, while the second dorsal fin has a moderately long base and the caudal fin is truncated.
Habitat
They inhabit sandy, muddy or shelly bottoms in shallow coastal bays to depths of about 100 m.
Distribution
Endemic to coastal waters of southern Australia from off Red Rock, New South Wales, to west of Cape Adieu, Great Australian Bight, South Australia, including around Tasmania. Underwater images suggest that the species may occur even further west.
Behaviour
Sand flathead are usually solitary but may form loose aggregations. They sometimes move long distances. They are active foragers and ambush predators, which bury themselves in the sediment feeding on fishes and crustaceans. They are also occasional scavengers. The spawning is taking place in the late Austral winter up to mid-December.
Edibility
Low oil content with a pleasant, sweet flavour. Fine textured flesh can dry out slightly with some cooking methods but remains moist and flaky when cooked in batter.
Lure suggestion
Effective lures are the ones, which dive deep, like vibe, blade, hard body lures, squid imitations, jerkbaits, and soft plastics. Good bait: pilchard, squid strips, mussels, whitebait, pipis, mackerel, blue bait, prawns, raw chicken.