The solution to that pesky Bit-o-Critter, round 23b
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 4:05PM Commenter Will Edwards just successfully identified the BoC wrasse from Round 23 as Ophthalmolepis lineolatus, or what we Aussies like to call a Maori wrasse. I think the common name comes from the blue lines on the face and their resemblance to the facial tattoos of several Polynesian peoples. Its a temperate rocky shore wrasse not to be confused with the humphead maori wrasse or Napoleon wrasse Cheilinus undulatus, which is a huge beast of a thing from coral reefs.
I grew up catching O. lineolatus off the rocks in S.E. Australia with my dad, usuallly using a peeled shrimp on a No. 2 hook on a paternoster rig. We would also catch mado sweep, which we called "footballers" (striped jersey), mono's, which we called "butter bream" and the occasional luderick, which we called "blackfish". I looked on jealously while older guys would cast ganged pilchards with an Alvey, way out into the wash in the hopes of tailor (Americans call them bluefish) or even a kingfish (US = yellowtail) or mulloway. I also remember my dad dressing me down one one time because I left a packet of shrimp bait in the trunk (Australia...summetime...you get the idea). When we went to pile into the car and drive home the next day, well, lets just say I wasnt so comfortable sitting down... Good times, good times...
