Friday Fish Time

Common name: Razorback scabbardfish. Scientific name: Assurger anzac. Family: Trichiuridae

Razorback scabbardfish: Certainly one of the coolest common names we’ve had. This one is a rare species of cutlassfish- these are predatory fish, long and slender, usually blue or silver in colour and look much like eels.

Not exactly a looker with that overbite. But what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in size- it can grow up to 2.5metres in length. It’s found all over the world but nationally only off Western Australia. It survives off a gourmet diet of anchovy, hake and squid.

We’re not hugely fond of it. A great common name, yes. But we actually selected this sucker on account of its scientific name, Assurger anzac, on account of… well, if we have to explain why then this whole exercise has been a waste of time and we should’ve profiled the clownfish instead.