Wildlife Wednesday - Garfish

Garfish have always intrigued me - I think it's that big long nose! I also like marlin and long toms for the same reason. There's something so odd and unexpected with that shape.

My favourite website, The Australian Museum, doesn't let me down. Here's some info on the Garfish.

I'll summarise here:

• They can grow up to 52 cm in length (these were maybe 10 cm)
• There are 18 different species and they're hard to distinguish (good, cause I reckon garfish is good enough!)
• They school (swim in groups). I just chased this one out by itself.

It's thought that the extended jaw allows them to hunt better, schooling up small fishes to help the garfish with feeding.

When we were kids, we'd often see them on holidays (on the NSW Central Coast) where the school would be close to the surface and they'd hunt smaller fish, breaking the surface with their 'beak' or tail often. Dad would always see them first and say "Garties", and then we had to keep our eyes peeled to try to see that flash of a beak breaking the surface.

For a while I'd only ever seen pictures of these things, never up close and alive, so I think that might be why I always find it exciting to come across one - even now. And yes, I have sent Dad this photo!