Habitat
Found around the north coast of Tasmania in waters up to 30 metres deep, usually on sandy bottom adjacent to seagrass beds.
Fishing information
These large flathead offer a niche fishery in some areas of Tasmania because fish caught tend to be large. They are caught mainly in coastal embayments and inlets along Bass Strait. Fishers are increasingly targeting them using soft plastic lures and flies. May also be encountered at night whilst spearing for flounder.
Handling
Beware of short, sharp spines on the flathead’s gill covers and dorsal fin.
Cooking
Low oil content with a pleasant, sweet flavour. Fine textured flesh which can dry out slightly with some cooking methods but remains moist and flaky when cooked in batter. The long shape of flathead means that it fillets well as most of the bones are at the head section of the fish. Also retains moisture well when cooked as whole fish. Suitable to bake in foil, shallow or deep fry, marinate, poach or steam.
Recipe: Whole BBQ Flathead:
Clean and gut the flathead. No need to skin or fillet!
Place them on some foil, with butter, parsley and lemon or whatever you like in the cavity then wrap them up. Put them on the barbeque, in the oven or under the grill and cook them till they are soft and the skin will peel off when properly cooked. The meat can be pulled off the bone easily, with very little wastage. A great way to stop this fish drying out and getting maximum meat return from your flathead.
Flathead Fact Sheets
How to Increase the Survival of Released Flathead
How to Release Flathead using a Fish De-hooker