When I first saw this fish, I was thinking, "What an UGLY LOOKING FISH!" But after observing it swimming for a while in the tank in the Melbourne Aquarium, I noticed its graceful moves, flapping its fins as if 'flying' through the water. In some ways, it moved around like a butterfly in the water. I left the aquarium with a changed perception of this 'cute' fish.

Elephant Shark from Melbourne Aquarium

The Elephant Shark, or Elephant Fish to some, belongs to the order of Chimaeras, a family of fish with shark characteristics (e.g. cartilage skeleton instead of bone structure). It has a long extended nose-like protrusion to aid in its search for food as it sifts the sand. Its distribution is limited to Australasian temperate waters and is an excellent fish on the line and on the table.

In Victoria, Australia, the Elephant Shark is most common in waters around Westernport Bay although they are sometimes caught in Port Phillip Bay. Preferred baits for these fish are squid strips and pilchards. The rig is a simple running sinker set-up with a size 1/0 hook on a 2.5ft leader.

The bite is usually a gentle nibble but when hooked, they are hot to handle! A light outfit is best when going for Elephants as the thrill can then be maximised. A possible explanation for the strong fights can be that since they are often found in shallow waters, the sight of the boat when nearing capture urges a more fierce fight for freedom.

The table quality of this fish is top fare. The flake fillets can be fried with butter and salt and pepper with a little lemon juice to top it off.