General Description

Body robust, tapering to a narrow tail base with a distinct skin-fold along lower sides. Dorsal and anal fins are small and far back on body. Mouth is small with teeth fused into a 'beak'. The belly is inflatable. Pale yellowish to greenish becoming silvery-white below with irregular dark brown spots and blotches overlain with four darker bands. The spots are elongated and become fewer on the lower sides. Eye red. Maximum total length 16 cm.

Biology

Often abundant in shallow bays and estuaries where they feed on crabs, shrimps and molluscs. Although commonly caught, Smooth Toadfish are very poisonous and should never be eaten, nor fed to pets.

Distribution

Eastern and southern Australia.

Habitat

Seagrass beds and sandy or muddy areas of coastal bays, estuaries, brackish lakes, occasionally entering lower reaches of freshwater rivers, at depths of 1-20 m.

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