ast month we had a detailed look podium! Lat one of the most popular fish I use the word ‘snapper’ because in Australian estuaries, the bream. most people across and New This month, we’re going to have a Zealand will know roughly what fish I look at a distant cousin, that is every am talking about. But in the west (West bit as iconic as bream, but bigger, Australia), this could mean a number more handsome, and (many would of species (ie. nor-west snapper, etc), say) better on the plate. To find this so to delineate, they call them pinkies guy we have to move from the jetties, or pink snapper. They also use the marinas, rock walls and mangroves name dork fish. Coming around the of the sheltered rivers and estuaries, bottom of south-west Australia to south and head offshore to the bays, reefs Australia, young fish are often known and drop-offs of the open ocean. This as ‘ruggers’ and older fish, snapper. month, we’re dissecting one of the Moving east to Victoria and they are most sought after fish in the sometimes known as ‘Schnapper’. southern offshore waters of the In small snapper are continent known as squire. Other common names used are cockney, knobby, red, red Dissecting Snapper bream, red sea bream ( and Asia) Before we start in earnest, let’s take squirefish, tamure (); and a brief look at the Snapper’s family they even have size dependent names: tree, and why it can call the humble cockney (small), to red-bream, to bream ‘cuz’ and really mean it! The Fish Trax #2 squire, to snapper (sub-adult/adult), to Australasian Snapper (we’ll talk more old man snapper (large adult). Whew! about names and naming shortly) and Identity Issues: Luckily, we have the scientific name all the Australian bream species are (and description) to confirm we are part of a family of bony fishes called talking about the same fish, right? (aka Sparids) which contains Snapper Well, yes, but it’s a little confusing. about 125 species, and are part of the Australasian (Australian and New larger ‘perch’ order . Many That Name . . . !! Zealand) snapper were originally of these fish are called ‘breams’ (e.g. Onto names, and if there was an named Chrysophrys auratus, the genus U.K., Australia) or ‘porgies’ (North Olympic event for the number of name Chrysophrys is a latin term America), and most have a relatively names given to one species of , meaning a sea fish, and the species rounded to oval body shape. snapper would definitely be on the name auratus means gold or golden, so Chrysophrys auratus = a golden sea As they grow, fish, not a bad description. ʻsnapperʼ are called However, it has long been observed many things in that the Australasian snapper different states, but at Chrysophrys auratus looked a lot like this point, they are another species of ‘Sparid’ found in the becoming waters off Japan and China, called recognisable as the major (formerley Chrysophrys definitive Pagrus major), the red sea bream. As we found auratus - or to put it out last month from bream, Pagrus another way - a means a kind of fish, and major is beaut snapper! derived from the Latin word maior (Note this has been which means greater or large. So caught on plastic - Pagrus major = a large fish. read how to do it from Anyway, genetic work done on the 2 the SEA Library under species Chrysophrys auratus and “Fishing” by Aaron Pagrus major in the 1980’s found that Concorde) they were very closely related, in fact the (small) differences between them were not great enough to delineate them as separate species. It was then put forward by some workers that they be re-classified as one species: Pagrus auratus. This new scientific name was accepted in Australasia for snapper, but the fish caught in Asian waters is still often known as Pagrus major, although it is regarded as the same species (Pagrus

76 Fisherman & Boatowner Copyright SEA Media Pty Ltd (F&B#155 - 6/2009) from www.seamedia.com.au major has also been proposed as a sub- snapper have a wide range of prey have since shown that males display species of Pagrus auratus). items and varied methods of feeding. more of a ‘lump’ and ‘bulge’ in To further add to the confusion, This is indeed true, as snapper will snapper on the west coast. Australasian snapper are to this day actively hunt fast moving prey such as We don’t really know what causes known as Chrysophrys auratus in fish and squid (hence the need for hyperostosis, but several hypotheses many quarters (although the Australian canines to grip struggling prey items), have been put forward such as a museum calls them Pagrus auratus). or will graze on other food sources response to pollution, a disease, or a So to cut a long story short, if you such as crabs, mussels and sea urchins side effect of their behaviour and see Chrysophrys auratus, Pagrus (hence the need for molars to crush the environment ie. butting into rocky auratus, or Pagrus major, read: shells of these prey items). nooks and crannies etc in search of Snapper (the one this article is about!). Of course to crush these, snapper food. However, studies have shown have a large and very powerful jaw. that it has a strong genetic base, and Distribution The strength of its jaw muscles is also some populations of snapper in Snapper Pagrus auratus is an inshore demonstrated by the amount of ‘cheek’ relatively close proximity to one species that is found throughout meat from larger specimens, this meat another may have fairly major temperate and subtropical parts of the is actually part of the complex of differences in the degree of western . They are found muscles responsible for closing the jaw hyperostosis seen. in the waters off the Phillipines, (and also very tasty). The breadth of To bump or not to bump? Does a , China, and Japan at diet is one of the facets that make large lump affect the eating qualities of depths of up to 200m. In Australia and snapper such an excellent angling these fish? Studies say no, but it does New Zealand they are found from the target, as they can be caught on a range affect our ability to sell them in Asia continental shelf, to bays, lagoons and of live baits, dead baits, and lures. (especially Japanese markets). Their even in coastal estuaries. Snapper are quite common throughout the southern half of Australia, from the southern Great Barrier Reef (Capricorn Bunker Group) north Queensland around the coast of southern Australia (and ) to Coral Bay in . Morphology Reminiscent of bream, snapper (remember the general Sparid body shape) are also fairly deep bodied with a relatively thick tail wrist, suggesting he is a powerful swimmer and not a super speedster. However, the long thin pectoral fins and terminal fins of the tail suggest that this guy is not only built for power, but is also quite fast (as anyone who has hooked one in From the F&B files . . Ben Thrower local species Pagrus major or red sea shallow water and had a scorching run with what weʼd all call a ʻclassicʼ bream (remember they are virtually can attest to!). snapper; great fishing, anywhere! identical to our snapper) have a much Like bream, snapper have quite large lesser degree of hyperostosis in their and powerful dorsal, caudal and pelvic By far the most distinctive and fish. To be specific, the supraoccipital spines to deter predators, and are definitive feature of the snapper, bone in our fish is swollen at the top covered in tough scales. These two especially for those who live on the and slender at the base, whereas the features together may give a clue as to east coast of Australia, is the large Japanese version is slender at the top the often rugged terrain that snapper lump (or knob) that often protrudes and swollen at the base. The Japanese prefers as habitat. from the head of larger models. like their seafood to look just so (they But for the really interesting features Known as hyperostosis, this have a right to, they are prepared to of snapper, we have to take a look at describes the enlargement of particular pay top dollar for it!), therefore our the head. Again like bream, snapper areas of bones in fish, in this case the rugged knob-headed fish, are off the have a reasonably large eye, and a supraoccipital (knob) and frontal menu! medium to small sized mouth, (forehead) bones. Oh well, more for us! indicating they do not ambush and When this occurs in snapper, it is swallow particularly large meals all at usually in larger fish, may occur in Life History once. both males and females, and may be So how do snapper begin their Inside the mouth, snapper have large accompanied by a large bulge on the journey? canine teeth in the front and small, snout. Originally thought to be more As there are a lot of different rounded or flat molars in the back of pronounced in female fish in populations of snapper in Australia and the jaw. This would indicate that Queensland or south Australia, studies New Zealand (and Asia for that matter)

Copyright SEA Media Pty Ltd (F&B#155 - 6/2009) from www.seamedia.com.au Fisherman & Boatowner 77 which each have the same basic snapper populations (eg Moreton Bay and a length of 1.3m, and at this size parameters but also a bit of local and Port Phillip Bay) may not be a they would be very old fish indeed, most variation, I have here presented a particularly important source of likely 20-30 years old (and maybe generalised snapper life history which recruitment to truly ‘offshore’ fisheries more!). incorporates most of the basic facts. in the adjacent area; and good snapper Larval snapper hatch out of habitat can be easily fished out and not Aquaculture transparent eggs after 28-48 hours, replenished in a hurry. The Japanese ‘snapper’, red sea bream around 0.7mm to 1mm in diameter. So we need careful management of has been intensively cultured for at least They are one of tens or hundreds of these areas (without ruining it for 40 years, and even before this, snapper thousands of such eggs spawned by a everybody (read-fishos!). Enough said. were reared by capturing juvenile fish single female at a time. Research has Back to the life cycle. Studies indicate and growing them out in sea cages. estimated that large females may that snapper start life sexually Relatively recently (late 80’s, early spawn up to 60 times in a season, undifferentiated (ie. no male or female 90’s) successful hatchery techniques which can last up to 3.5 months, and gonads), and from about 1 year old were developed (based largely upon her ovaries can have many millions of develop as females. These either techniques for spawning and growout of eggs contained at any one time. continue to develop as females and Pagrus major) for the Australasian Studies indicate that spawning snapper, with intensive larval rearing usually takes place in relatively Di Rossʼ shot from last monthʼs F&B followed by growout in sea cages most shallow coastal waters and bays etc (ie of Ashley Talbot and his Whyalla 2009 common in Australia. <60m deep), but there are reports of winning 15.65kg snapper - check this This species has a great deal of snapper larvae occurring over the fishʼs head and nose bumps. aquacultural potential, and is currently continental shelf, so perhaps grown (in research and/or there are spawning commercial capacity) in all congregations in deeper Australian states. Limiting water. factors include relatively slow Most studies indicate growth (market size ~250mm little movement of larvae in around 21 months c.f. ~6 from the spawning site just months for a similar sized after spawning (they are barramundi) although this can usually spawned when be improved in warmer annual currents are low waters; and a lack of suitable such as in winter on the east sites (at a reasonable price) coast of Australia). for cage culture. But with Anyway, the little flesh quality as good as it is, transparent just-hatched and looking as good as it larvae is around 2 to 3 mm does, snapper is likely to long, and drifts around with become one of the more the prevailing tides and popular marine finfish currents. In a couple of days when his mature at around 25cm and 2-5 years cultured in Australia. yolk supply is exhausted, he will start old (a little larger if they mature at 5), or feeding on any small crustaceans, between 2 and 4 years old, they may In Summary worms etc that are floating with him change sex (a relatively common Well, what a fish. They’re abundant, that he can fit into his mouth. They occurrence in the world of fish) and great to catch, great to eat and they look then gradually move from the plankton continue to develop as males, reaching fantastic. They’ll take all sorts of baits to settle onto the bottom, and then sexual maturity at around the same size and lures too, and put up a great fight move gradually into bays, estuaries and and age as females. When sexually anywhere from the shallow estuaries to shallower waters at about 1 cm in mature, fish will congregate (perhaps the deep blue waters of the continental length. involving migration) at recognised areas shelf. Like their inshore cousins the Here they will basically ‘pick a to spawn. bream, they are great all-rounders of patch’ where they will feed, avoid These are usually in relatively shallow offshore waters that tick boxes in nearly predators, grow and develop, and waters with minimal oceanic currents, all the categories you need for an iconic generally not move great distances. and are specific sites for specific fish species. And that flash of brilliant Most studies show that the majority populations. Once fish have spawned, pinky red seen down deep often marks a of juvenile snapper (<25cm) only move there is a deal of variation in habitat ‘coming of age’ for an offshore fisho. a few hundred metres at most from choice of mature fish, with fish of some Put all these things together in the one their home range, and most adults are populations moving to deeper waters as package, and it’s no wonder that snapper also resident fish and do not move they get older, others remaining in are one of the most popular angling much more (although a small relatively shallow waters and still others species in Australia. proportion ~1% may move over moving to deeper waters and Next Month: Geoff prepares an 100km). subsequently back to shallower waters at amazing biologist’s scientific ‘skinny’ This is an important point for 12 to 13 years of age, to remain there for on the ubiquitous flathead; don’t miss fisheries management, as it means the rest of their lives. it, this is special! areas such as bays and inlets with good Snapper may reach a weight of 20kg F&B

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