This Banded Stargazer or Toro (Kathetostoma binigrassela) was stranded at low tide on the mudflats at Harwood on the Otago Peninsula. When found, a bird had alreay feasted on its eyes.
When alive, this ambush predator hides below the sand, waiting for small fish and crustaceans to pass by. It can stay in one spot for many hours awaiting unsuspectng prey and lunge with surprising speed. It has a small whisker-like barbel on its chin and a long mouth filament that is used to lure prey.
