Thorny-Backed Cowfish
Cowfish are tropical fish that sometimes end up in Sydney, they get caught in the East Australian Current like in the movie Finding Nemo. The two species most likely to end up here are the Horned Cowfish and the Thorny-Backed Cowfish.
Both have horns are designed to snap off in the throat but only one has a thorny back. This is the Thorny-Backed Cowfish and like the Horned Cowfish it contains a poison powerful enough to kill pretty much anything silly enough to eat one. We would suggest that on top of all its other defences, the thorny back is probably overkill.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE THORNY-BACKED COWFISH
A few more facts from the people that know more about the marine life of Sydney than anyone else.
More info from the
Australian Museum