The NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Fisheries recreational manager told the Manning River Times he believes that the fish are Striped Anglerfish, and if this is the case they are not dangerous.

Fisheries provided the following link to the Australian Museum for information on this species.

At first swimmers thought the fish might be stonefish, in which case they would be dangerous.

Casey Coss sent several photos to the Times, via Facebook, asking if the Times could post a warning. She reported about 10 of the fish were seen in the lagoon, which has been a popular venue with families during the hot weather recently.

The Times attempted to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service, without success, and then emailed a copy of Casey’s photo to Fisheries.

The Australian Museum says: “The colouration of the Striate Anglerfish is extremely variable. Some are heavily striped, while others have broken stripes or spots, or lack stripes entirely. The species uses deception and camouflage to catch its prey.”