Winter and I reckon the “vibe” is pretty low at the moment. Never fear – Friday Fish Time is here.

Take a decko (from the Hindi “dekho” meaning a look or a peep and picked up by the British Army when they were in India)  at the picture above.

Identify as many of the fish and other marine creatures as possible and send your entry to:  csiromedia@csiro.au

Any attempt at humour in addition to the identification will be looked on favorably and may sway the judge’s decision. Yes, there is only one judge – me.

For the winner a copy of the fantastic Sharks and Rays of Australia. Written by Peter Last and John Stevens from  CSIRO, this 656 page reference book is worth every cent of the $120 cover price.

Entries close at 5pm on June 30, 2012.

(Hint: previous posts of Friday Fish Time probably won’t help at all.)

Here is the blurb from CSIRO Publishing about the book:

The first edition of Sharks and Rays of Australia was produced in 1994. Since then, 29 species have been discovered in Australian seas and more than 100 species have been named and formally described. As well as documenting these advances, the new edition includes updated species classifications and descriptions, distribution maps, line illustrations by Georgina Davis, family keys and outlines of Chondrichthyan biology and interactions with humans. The book catalogues a rich seam of Australia’s marine biodiversity, providing an indispensible compendium for scientists and a baseline reference for the fishing industry.