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Something strange off Russel Island

muzz

By muzz
in Saltwater

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muzz Newbie

muzz

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G'day

Rhet and myself were out chasing bream on the flats around Russel/Macleay Island and we both saw something a little bizarre. About 30m of the boat some type of creature poked its head out of the water while it was eating a fish.

We have both spent some time living in the NT and have both fished the top end of Australia quite extensively, so all that I can narrow this creature down to was it looked remarkably like a juvenile estuarine croc. Obviously it isn't one as they more or less finish their habitual zone at around Rockhampton.

Unfortunately we didn't get any photos as it was only up for long enough to consume its feed.

I am quite interested if anyone knows what this could be? The head would have measured six inches in length.

Muzz

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Rhet Newbie

Rhet

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Hey Guys

As Muz suggested, this creature had a long snout, long and skinny jaws. It resembled the size of a small croc (maybe 3ft), but it wasn't a croc. I was glad he saw it as well, because it would have been unbeliebale to describe.

It certainly wasn't a turtle..............and it certainly wasn't a trouser snake! Although one could understand that if you had a trouser snake of this proportion, you probably would show it off a bit!

Even though they are suppossedly not found in Australian waters, I would suggest it appeared similar to an Alligator gar.

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Milan Newbie

Milan

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Hey Guys

As Muz suggested, this creature had a long snout, long and skinny jaws. It resembled the size of a small croc (maybe 3ft), but it wasn't a croc. I was glad he saw it as well, because it would have been unbeliebale to describe.

It certainly wasn't a turtle..............and it certainly wasn't a trouser snake! Although one could understand that if you had a trouser snake of this proportion, you probably would show it off a bit!

Even though they are suppossedly not found in Australian waters, I would suggest it appeared similar to an Alligator gar.

Probably was a long tom then
/>http://www.rawfish.com.au/images/north-stradbroke-island-charter-fishing-tours1.JPG

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Rhet Newbie

Rhet

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It did look a bit consistent with that long tom image, however it would have been 7ft going by the width of the snout. At the tip I'd suggest it was nearly an inch wide, so back towards the eye are was maybe 3 inches wide.

It wasn't at skinny as the long tom, but we only saw it the once for about 4-5 seconds so I'm not going to definitivly say it wasn't one...................but I don't think it was.

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muzz Newbie

muzz

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Going by the description Ompax spatuloides ?

Hmm not really trying to start an urban myth or hoax, just thought that I would pass on something that we witnessed while out on the water.

More curious as to what it could be and if anyone else has seen or heard of anything like this.

Muzz

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elops Newbie

elops

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The O. spatuloides reference was just a joke.

As for Alligator Gar prior to all members of the Genus Lepisosteidae going on the noxious list there were Gar in QLD. Bound to have been people that did not get a permit for them and may have escaped from pond/dam in the floods or been released into the wild. Known to enter brackish water and very salt tolerant but highly unlikely that it was one.

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