Average length 30-50cm Average weight 0.5-1.5kg
Found in coastal waters in New Zealand, southern Australia, South Africa and Japan.
Reddish-pink, sometimes brownish above, and white below. Large bluish-green pectoral fins each with one dark spot and several small white spots. Its colour pattern and very small scales distinguish this species from other gurnards.
Widespread all around New Zealand on sand and sandy shell seabeds to depth of 150m. Caught all year round, mainly by trawling. A moderate resource. The related spotted gurnard is much less common and the much smaller scaly gurnard is not a commercial species.