I & I NSW Wild Fisheries research Program Rock Blackfish ()

Exploitation Status undefined

A coastal rocky foreshore species fished by recreational line and spear fishers. Almost no biological or fishery data are currently available for this species however a biological study is underway. Scientific name Standard name comment

Girella elevata rock blackfish Also called black drummer.

Kyphosus sydneyanus silver drummer

Girella elevata Image © Bernard Yau

Background Rock blackfish Girella( elevata) occur from Rock blackfish are powerful swimmers, and are southern Queensland to eastern sought by recreational fishers because of their and also around and New fighting ability and good eating qualities. They Zealand. They are closely related to luderick are omnivorous, and eat a wide range of species (Girella tricuspidata) and look similar, but do including crabs, cunjevoi and algae. Rock not have the vertical dark bars characteristic blackfish can grow to a maximum size of about of luderick. Juvenile rock blackfish are light 65 cm in length and 9 kg in weight, however grey-brown in colour and commonly occur in fish greater than 3 kg are considered rare. It is rock pools in the intertidal zone. Adult rock possible that the stock has been significantly blackfish are a uniform dark blue-black in depleted by fishing, but there is very little colour and live in the wave surge zones around biological or fishery data on which to base an rocky headlands and offshore islands, generally assessment. A PhD study of the biology of and where there is a lot of environmental structure fishery for rock blackfish commenced in 2010. such as caves and crevices.

status of fisheries resources in nsw, 2008/09 rock blackfish | p 255 wild fisheries research program

The silver drummer ( sydneyanus) Further Reading occurs in similar habitats in southern Australian Bell, J.D., J.J. Burchmore and D.A. Pollard (1980). The waters, and grows to a much larger size than food and feeding habits of the rock blackfish, Girella rock blackfish (up to 75 cm in length and 15 kg elevata Macleay (Pisces: Girellidae), from the Sydney in weight). Although superficially similar, as region, , Australian. Zoologist 20 its name implies the silver drummer is much (3): 391-407. lighter in colour, and is easy to distinguish Gallahar, N. K. and M. J. Kingsford (1992). Patterns of from rock blackfish by the number of spines Increment Width and Strontium - Calcium Ratios in in the (11, as opposed to 13 in the Otoliths of Juvenile Rock Blackfish,Girella-Elevata rock blackfish). The silver drummer has poor (M). Journal of Fish Biology 41(5): 749-763. eating qualities, and is not highly sought by Gallahar, N. K. and M. J. Kingsford (1996). Factors commercial or recreational fishers. influencing Sr/Ca ratios in otoliths of Girella elevata: In NSW rock blackfish are subject to a minimum An experimental investigation. Journal of Fish legal length of 30 cm and a bag limit of 10 per Biology 48 (2): 174-186. person. There is no reported commercial catch, Griffiths, S. P. (2003). Homing behaviour of intertidal and no reliable estimate of current recreational rockpool fishes in south-eastern New South Wales, landings. Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 51 (4): 387-398. Steffe, A.S., J. Murphy, D. Chapman, B.E. Tarlington, Additional Notes G.N.G. Gordon and A. Grinberg (1996). An assessment of the impact of offshore recreational • Related to luderick and reported to grow to fishing in New South Wales on the management about 7 - 9 kg in weight - targeted by line of commercial fisheries. FRDC Project 94/053. Final and spear fishing in ocean waters near rocky report to Fisheries Research and Development headlands. Corporation. Sydney, NSW Fisheries Research Institute: 139 pp. • No commercial catch reported, and no reliable estimates of recreational catch are available. • There are concerns that rock blackfish may be Please visit the CSIRO website, subject to significant localised depletion. http://www.marine.csiro.au/caab/ and search for the species code (CAAB) 37 361006 and 37 361001, • A bag limit of 10 fish and minimum legal common name or scientific name to find further length of 30 cm apply to NSW recreational information. fishers.

Catch Recreational Catch of Rock Blackfish The annual recreational harvest of rock blackfish in NSW is not accurately known.

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (April 2010). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency of the information with the appropriate officer of Industry and Investment NSW or the user’s independent adviser. p 256 | rock blackfish