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Flathead - Sand

Southern Sand Flathead

Season: Open all year


South-eastern zone	0	0 (on water)	-
Eastern Zone	5	5 (on water)	-
Northern / Western Zone	10	10 (on water)	-
King and Flinders Islands	10	10 (on water)	-
On land		10

Guide to symbols

Bag Limit

Possession Limit

Boat Limit

Rules

See Detailed Rules below for all rules that apply

Overall limits apply for sand and tiger flathead combined: Bag-20, Possession-30

Minimum size

All waters (except King and Flinders Islands and south-eastern zone) - Minimum size 35cm, maximum size 40cm.
King and Flinders Islands - Minimum size 35cm, no maximum size.

South-eastern zone - No take of sand flathead permitted.

Measuring

Most scalefish are measured from the nose to the end of the tail. Get your scalefish measuring ruler or sticker at any Service Tasmania outlet.

Stock status

Depleted

Other names

common flathead, slimy flathead, bay flathead, sand flathead, sandy flathead, flathead

Scientific name

Platycephalus bassensis

Grows to

Up to

55cm and 1.5kg

Identifying features

Sand flathead have a long and narrow body with a broad, flattened head. They are a sandy brown or mottled colour above and white below with occasional reddish brown spots along sides.

There may also be dark bands across the body and a distinctive black spot on the tail. Scales are present even though they are covered with a protective slime. The lower spine on the gill cover is longer than the upper spine.

Tiger flathead and bluespotted flathead can be commonly mistaken for sand flathead.

Sand flathead can be distinguished from tiger flathead by the teeth and tail markings. Sand flathead have flat, raspy teeth and a dark blotch on the lower part of the tail. Tiger flathead have large canine teeth and no dark markings on their tail.

Sand flathead can be distinguished from bluespotted flathead by the gillcover spines and tail-markings. On sand flathead, the lower gillcover spine is longer than the upper. On bluespotted flathead the spines are similar length. Sand flathead generally have one large dark blotch on the lower part of their tail, while bluespotted flathead have multiple black/brown spots surrounded by white.

Watch a video to learn how to ID different flathead species in Tasmania.

Responsible fishing tips

Fishing for sand flathead is highly unsustainable in most of Tasmania. Recovery is in our hands. Here's how you can help:

Follow the rules
Use responsible handling and release techniques
Fish for a mixed bag of sustainable species instead, like Australian salmon, mullet or mackerel.
Report suspicious or illegal fishing to Tasmania Police on 131 444.

All Tasmanians can be a part of the sand flathead rebuilding success story.

Learn more at: Flathead for the Future.

Detailed Rules

Bag limits

South-eastern zone – 0

Eastern Zone – 5

Northern/Western Zone – 10

King and Flinders Islands – 10

An overall bag limit of 20 applies for sand and tiger flathead combined.

Map of sand flathead size and bag limits

Map of Tasmanian sand flathead recreational catch limits

Map of sand flathead size and bag limits in the south-east

Map of south-eastern zone closure

Size limits

All waters (except King and Flinders Islands and the south-eastern zone) - Legal size between 35-40cm

King and Flinders Island - Minimum size 35cm, no maximum size.

South-eastern zone - No take of sand flathead permitted.

Possession limits

On State waters (on-water possession limit)

South-eastern zone – 0

Eastern Zone – 5

Northern/Western Zone – 10

King and Flinders Islands – 10

You cannot possess more sand flathead than the on-water possession limit of the zone you are in, regardless of where the fish were caught.

You cannot possess any part of a sand flathead in the south-eastern zone (including parts of sand flathead for bait or berley).

On land

On land – 10

The on-land possession limit is the maximum number of sand flathead you as an individual can have at any one time on land in Tasmania, whether that's at home, in your car or at your shack.

If you possess sand flathead on land in the south-east, they must have been caught before the closure OR have been caught outside the south-eastern zone.

An overall possession limit of 30 applies for sand and tiger flathead combined.

Must be landed whole

All species of flathead must be landed whole or as fillets with intact frames (head and tail attached).

Example 1: Allowed - whole fish or fillets with intact frame

Example 2: Not Allowed - flathead fillets and no frame

Example 3: Not Allowed - flathead fillets and frame not intact

Moving between zones

When moving between zones:

All sand flathead must meet the size limit of the zone you are entering.
You cannot possess more sand flathead than the on-water possession limit of the zone you are in.

More Information

Habitat

Sand flathead are a bottom dwelling fish usually found in inshore waters all around Tasmania. They prefer shallow waters of around 0-25 metres depth and a weed free, sandy bottom.

Fishing information

Sand flathead are the most commonly caught recreational species in Tasmania. They are present around the state and are relatively easy to catch. They can be caught on a variety of baits and lures providing they are fished close to a sandy bottom as they don’t usually rise more than one metre from the bottom to take a bait. Flathead are often caught from a boat that is drifting slowly so the fish see the bait as it passes by. May also be encountered at night when spearing for flounder.

Fishery management

The sand flathead fishery is depleted. The latest research confirms fishing for sand flathead is highly unsustainable in most of Tasmania.

Everyone can be a part of a sand flathead rebuilding success story. As a recreational-only species, recovery is in the hands of recreational fishers.

To learn more visit: Flathead for the Future.

Handling

Sand flathead have very high survival rates after release as long as they're handled well and returned to the water gently and quickly.

You can improve the survival of sand flathead you release by:

Using barbless or circle hooks
Using a de -hooker to quickly release fish that aren't legal size
Handling flathead with a wet cloth
Minimising the amount of time fish are out of the water
Releasing flathead away from predators when possible to reduce the risk of fish getting eaten when you release them.

If a flathead is gut-hooked, cut the line and leave the hook in place. Trying to remove the hook will hurt the fish more than leaving it in place.

Beware of short, sharp spines on the flathead's gill covers and dorsal fin.

Public Health advice

The Director of Public Health advises people to limits meals of Derwent caught scalefish including flathead due to heavy metal contamination - refer to the Department of Health and Human Services or phone their hotline on 1800 671 738.

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. Popular as fish and chips.

Recipe - Easy Cook Flatties:

2 flathead fillets; 2 tbsp rice or plain flour; salt and pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil.

Place flour and salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Place fish fillets into bag and shake bag. Remove fillets dust off excess flour. Heat oil in a large frypan to medium heat. Place fish into pan, cook for 3 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Recipe - Beer Battered Flathead:

500 grams flathead fillets; ½ cup flour; salt; 1 tbsp oil; ½ cup beer and 1 egg white; stiffly beaten.

Mix flour and salt, gradually add liquid and stir until smooth. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Gently fold in egg white. Dip flathead fillets lightly in flour before dipping in the batter. Heat oil to 180°C for deep frying or shallow fry in a wide pan.

Black spots in flathead fillets

A flathead showing signs of black spots in the flesh

Have you noticed black flesh or spots in your sand flathead fillets? This is a phenomenon known as melanisation which is the subject of research at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. Read about their Black Fillets Project Research Report.

Flathead Fact Sheets

How to Increase the Survival of Released Flathead

How to Release Flathead using a Fish De-hooker