Watercolours on paper
'Star Gazer' from William Buleow Gould's Sketch book of Fishes in Macquarie Harbour c 1832
bought at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney in 2012
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The stargazers are a family of fish that have eyes on top of their heads (hence the name). The family includes about 51 species (one extinct) in 8 genera, all marine and found worldwide in shallow waters.
In addition to the top-mounted eyes, stargazers also have a large upward-facing mouth in a large head. Their usual habit is to bury themselves in sand, and leap upwards to ambush prey that pass overhead.
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