Southern Stargazer

Southern stargazers are able to reach a maximum size of 440 millimetres (17 in). These fish have a brownish body color with small white spots, and their pectoral fins are lined in black and white. Their tails have three black or brown stripes on the caudal. They use their pectoral fins to dig and bury themselves in the sediment. They have 8 dorsal spines, 13–14 soft dorsal rays, no anal spines, and 13 soft anal rays. They have a cleithral spine that has a venom gland. When they bury themselves in the sand they leave their eyes, nostrils, and most of their mouth above the sand. In order to breathe they take water in through the nostrils which are protected from the sand by fleshy comb-shaped fringes; the mouth also has these fringes. These fish do not have scales on the top of their heads, but have them on the rest of their bodies extending onto the fleshy part of the caudal fin. Their eyes are able to protrude slightly from the head appearing stalked, and this is to allow them to see above the sand. By using an organ located in a pouch behind their eyes they are able to create an electrical current. They are able to generate a voltage as strong as 50 volts, and this is mainly used for protection instead of a way to capture their prey. The discharge of this organ depends on the temperature of the water.

The southern stargazers are benthic marine fish that are reef-associated. They live most of their lives inshore. Stargazers can be found at depths of 70 metres (230 ft) in areas that have sandy, silty, or soft rubble bottoms.

They are predatory fish that lie in wait for smaller fish to swim near them while they are buried under the sand with their head the only thing that is not buried.