Flathead, as the name suggests, has a broad, flat head, a chunky body which tapers steadily towards the tail, and an extremely large mouth. There are two poisonous spines on either side of the gills, so caution is warranted when handling these fish. They are a bottom dwelling fish, and they prefer to conceal themselves near the edges of weed beds and sand patches, where they ambush their intended targets. They are an extremely quick and agile fish, and do offer a great fight on light tackle, when hooked.
The "Sand" flathead is by far the most common and numerous, with a few "Dusky" flathead out in deeper waters. The "Dusky" flathead is prevalent off the coasts of northern Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland, and this species can grow up to one metre in length and weigh up to ten kilos.
The meat itself is much under-rated in its taste and visual appeal. The flesh is tender, white and sweet, and battered or crumbed fillets shallow fried offers the best results to the taste buds.
