Bullrout

Interesting Info

• The Bullrout is a tough-looking little fish found only in eastern Australia, from southern New South Wales up into southern Queensland.
• It lives in estuaries, tidal rivers, and brackish creeks, often resting half-buried in sand or mud where it blends in perfectly.
• Adults are usually around 18–22 cm (7–9 in) long, with a maximum recorded size of about 35 cm (13.7 in).
• Their body is covered in brown, green, and mottled markings that make them almost invisible on the river bottom.
• The Bullrout is armed with 13 sharp dorsal spines, plus venomous spines on its anal and pelvic fins. A sting is extremely painful, sometimes compared to a stonefish, though rarely life-threatening.
• They eat mostly small fish, prawns, and aquatic insects, striking quickly from the bottom.
• The Bullrout is sometimes called a “freshwater stonefish” because of its look and sting, but it’s smaller and prefers estuaries over reefs.
• Breeding happens in summer, with adults moving upstream to freshwater reaches of rivers to spawn. Eggs and larvae drift downstream back into estuarine and brackish waters where the young grow.
• Bullrout are generally solitary and don’t migrate far from their home patch.
• Their lifespan is not well documented, but scientists believe they may live around 5–7 years, similar to other estuarine scorpionfish relatives.