Recreational Fishing in Western Australia: Southern Fish

recreational fishing in western australia

SOUthern fish identification guide

MARCH 2011 Cover: Dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum) Photo: Henrique Kwong

Published by Department of Fisheries, Perth, Western Australia. Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 86, March 2011. ISSN: 1447 - 2058 ISBN: 978-1-921845-05-5

2 southern fish identification guide About this Guide

his guide has been developed to help you identify the Tmore common species within the West Coast and South Coast bioregions that you may encounter. The purpose of this recreational fishing guide is to greatly enhance consistent and accurate species identification. If you are unsure about a particular species (or if it is not in this guide), please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. You can access additional information on the website www.fish.wa.gov.au

See Northern Fish Identfication Guide for these regions

114° 50' E

North Coast Kununurra (Pilbara/Kimberley)

Broome Gascoyne Coast Port Hedland Karratha 21°46' S Onslow A sh bur Exmouth ton R iver Carnarvon Denham 27°S Kalbarri Geraldton

West Coast Eucla Perth

Esperance Augusta Black Point Albany South Coast 115°30' E Regions covered by this guide

Southern fish identification guide 3 Contents

About this Guide �� 3

Offshore Demersal �� 5

Inshore Demersal �� 6

Nearshore...... 9

Estuarine...... 13

Pelagic...... 14

Sharks...... 15

Crustaceans...... 16

Molluscs...... 17

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES �� 18

Five broad ecological depth based habitats are recognised within each bioregion. Finfish species are listed in the habitat where they most commonly occur. Sharks and crustaceans are presented separately as they may occupy many habitats.

200 mile Economic Exclusion Zone Land

ESTUARINE PELAGIC PAGE 14 NEARSHORE PAGE 13 PAGE 9 OFFSHORE INSHORE DEMERSAL DEMERSAL PAGE 5 PAGE 6

250m 20m

4 southern fish identification guide Offshore Demersal

Juvenile Eightbar grouper Bass groper (Grey banded rockcod, eightbar cod) Polyprion americanus Hyporthodus octofasciatus

Hapuku Ruby snapper (Hapuku cod) Etelis carbunculus Polyprion oxygeneios

Blue-eye trevalla Hyperoglyphe antarctica

Southern fish identification guide 5 Inshore Demersal

Juvenile West Australian dhufish Western Blue groper (Dhuie) Achoerodus gouldii Glaucosoma hebraicum

Juvenile Snapper Blue morwong (Pink snapper, pinkie) (Queen snapper) Pagrus auratus Nemadactylus valenciennesi

Baldchin groper Harlequin fish (Baldie) Othos dentex Choerodon rubescens

Breaksea cod Bight redfish (Black arse snapper) (Red snapper, nannygai) Epinephelides armatus Centroberyx gerrardi

6 southern fish identification guide Swallowtail Sergeant Baker Centroberyx lineatus Aulopus purpurissatus

Yellow-eyed red snapper Bighead Gurnard perch Centroberyx australis (Gurnard perch) Neosebastes pandus

Foxfish Common Coral trout (Western foxfish) (Leopard coral trout) Bodianus frenchii Plectropomus leopardus

Sea Sweep Redthroat emperor Scorpis aequipinnis (Sweetlip emperor) Lethrinus miniatus

Southern fish identification guide 7 Inshore Demersal (continued)

Spangled emperor Yellowtail emperor (North west snapper) Lethrinus atkinsoni Lethrinus nebulosus

Grass emperor Painted sweetlip (Black snapper, blue-lined emperor, (Slatey bream, sweetlip) grass snapper, tricky snapper) Diagramma labiosum Lethrinus laticaudis

Bluespotted emperor (Lesser spangled emperor) Lethrinus punctulatus

8 southern fish identification guide Nearshore

King George whiting T rumpeter whiting Sillaginodes punctata Sillago burrus

Southern school whiting (School whiting, sand whiting) Sillago bassensis Yellowfin whiting (Western sand whiting, yellowfinned whiting, See below to distinguish between western and southern school whiting. silver whiting) Sillago schomburgkii

2 1

Western school whiting Southern garfish (School whiting, sand whiting) (Gardie, southern sea garfish) Sillago vittata Hyporhamphus melanochir

Distinguishing features Dark blotch 1 2 below dorsal fin

Lower lobe of tail fin longer Dot markings More defined on base of diagonal bars Robust garfish pectoral fin Hemiramphus robustus

Southern fish identification guide 9 Nearshore (continued)

Australian herring Sea mullet (Herring, tommy ruff) (Mullet) Arripis georgianus Mugil cephalus

Juvenile Western Australian salmon Yellowtail scad (Salmon) (Yellowtail, yellowtail horse mackerel) Arripis truttaceus Trachurus novaezelandiae

Mulloway Western butterfish (River Kingfish, kingie) (Butterfish, buttery) Argyrosomus japonicus Pentapodus vitta

Yelloweye mullet Blue-spotted goatfish (Pilch, yellow-eyed mullet) (Red mullet) Aldrichetta forsteri Upeneichthys vlamingii

10 southern fish identification guide Silver trevally Striped barracuda (Skipjack, skippy) (Pike, striped seapike) Pseudocaranx dentex Sphyraena obtusata

Sand trevally Horseshoe leatherjacket (Skipjack, skippy) Meuschenia hippocrepis Pseudocaranx wrighti

Tailor Sixspine leatherjacket Pomatomus saltatrix (Reef leatherjacket) Meuschenia freycineti

Male

Female

Snook Western King wrasse Sphyraena novaehollandiae Coris auricularis

Southern fish identification guide 11 Nearshore (continued)

Brownspotted wrasse Banded sweep Notolabrus parilus Scorpis georgianus

Male

Female Maori Wrasse Blue mackerel Ophthalmolepis lineolatus (Slimey mackerel, common mackerel) Scomber australasicus

T rumpeter Oriental bonito (Striped trumpeter) Sarda orientalis Pelates octolineatus

Weeping toadfish Poisonous (Blowie, pufferfish, common blowfish) Torquigener pleurogramma

12 southern fish identification guide Estuarine

Black bream Smalltooth flounder Acanthopagrus butcheri (Small toothed flounder) Pseudorhombus jenynsii

Tarwhine Yellowtail flathead (Silver bream) (Bar-tailed flathead) Rhabdosargus sarba Platycephalus endrachtensis

Estuary Cobbler Southern Bluespotted flathead (Cobbler) (Blue-spotted flathead, southern flathead) Cnidoglanis macrocephalus Platycephalus speculator

Southern fish identification guide 13 Pelagic

Juvenile Samsonfish Shark mackerel Seriola hippos (Scaly mackerel, salmon mackerel) Grammatorcynus bicarinatus

Yellowtail kingfish Yellowfin tuna (Kingfish, kingie) Thunnus albacares Seriola lalandi

Mahi Mahi Southern Bluefin tuna (Dolphinfish) Thunnus maccoyii Coryphaena hippurus

Spanish mackerel Blue marlin (Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel) Makaira mazara Scomberomorus commerson

14 southern fish identification guide Sharks

Black marlin Whaler sharks Makaira indica (Dusky shark, bronze whaler) Carcharhinus spp.

Striped marlin Whiskery shark Tetrapterus audax Furgaleus macki

Gummy sharks (Southern gummy shark) Mustelus spp.

Sandbar shark (Thickskin shark, northern whaler, sand shark) Carcharhinus plumbeus

Southern fish identification guide 15 Sharks (continued) Crustaceans

Hammerhead sharks Western Rock lobster Family Sphyrnidae Panulirus cygnus

Wobbegongs Southern Rock lobster Family Orectolobidae Jasus edwardsii

Grey nurse shark Blue Swimmer crab Carcharias taurus (Blue manna, blue crab) Portunus pelagicus

Port Jackson shark Marron Heterodontus portusjacksoni Cherax tenuimanus

16 southern fish identification guide Molluscs

Roe’s abalone Squid Haliotis roei Order Teuthoidea

Greenlip abalone Octopus Haliotis conicopora Octopus spp.

Brownlip abalone Haliotis roei

Southern fish identification guide 17 INDEX OF COMMON NAMES

A H Australian herring...... 10 Hammerhead sharks...... 16 Hapuku...... 5 B Harlequin fish...... 6 Baldchin groper...... 6 Horseshoe leatherjacket...... 11 Banded sweep...... 12 Bass groper...... 5 K Bighead Gurnard perch...... 7 King George whiting...... 9 Bight redfish...... 6 Black bream...... 13 M Black marlin...... 15 Mahi Mahi...... 14 Blue-eye trevalla...... 5 Maori Wrasse...... 12 Blue mackerel...... 12 Marron...... 16 Blue marlin...... 14 Mulloway...... 10 Blue morwong...... 6 Bluespotted emperor...... 8 O Blue-spotted goatfish...... 10 Octopus...... 17 Blue Swimmer crab...... 16 Oriental bonito...... 12 Breaksea cod...... 6 Brownlip abalone...... 17 P Brownspotted wrasse...... 12 Painted sweetlip...... 8 Port Jackson shark...... 16 C Common Coral trout...... 7 R Redthroat emperor...... 7 E Robust garfish...... 9 Eightbar grouper...... 5 Roe’s abalone...... 17 Estuary Cobbler...... 13 Ruby snapper...... 5

F S Foxfish...... 7 Samsonfish...... 14 Sandbar shark...... 15 G Sand trevally...... 11 Grass emperor...... 8 Sea mullet...... 10 Greenlip abalone...... 17 Sea Sweep...... 7 Grey nurse shark...... 16 Sergeant Baker...... 7 Gummy sharks...... 15 Shark mackerel...... 14 Silver trevally...... 11

18 southern fish identification guide Sixspine leatherjacket...... 11 Yellowfin tuna...... 14 Smalltooth flounder...... 13 Yellowfin whiting...... 9 Snapper...... 6 Yellowtail emperor...... 8 Snook...... 11 Yellowtail flathead...... 13 Southern Bluefin tuna...... 14 Yellowtail kingfish...... 14 Southern Bluespotted flathead...... 13 Yellowtail scad...... 10 Southern garfish ...... 9 Southern Rock lobster...... 16 Southern School whiting...... 9 Spangled emperor...... 8 Spanish mackerel...... 14 Squid...... 17 Striped barracuda...... 11 Striped marlin...... 15 Swallowtail...... 7

T Tailor...... 11 Tarwhine...... 13 Trumpeter...... 12 Trumpeter whiting...... 9

W Weeping toadfish Poisonous...... 12 West Australian dhufish...... 6 Western Australian salmon...... 10 Western Blue groper...... 6 Western butterfish...... 10 Western King wrasse...... 11 Western Rock lobster...... 16 Western School whiting...... 9 Whaler sharks...... 15 Whiskery shark...... 15 Wobbegongs...... 16

Y Yellow-eyed red snapper...... 7 Yelloweye mullet...... 10

Southern fish identification guide 19 Before you leave, tell someone about your boating plans, and if these change during the voyage, notify them immediately. Always report in when you return. The information in this guide is current at the time of the date of printing, but may change. For the most up-to-date information on fisheries and fishing rules in plain English, check the Department of Fisheries’ website at www.fish.wa.gov.au or contact the Department before going fishing. The latest version of each brochure is available for download in PDF format from the website. For legislation, a link from the website will take you to the State Law Publisher.

Produced for the Survey of Recreational Fishing in Western Australia.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES – HEAD OFFICE 3rd Floor, The Atrium, 168 St George’s Terrace, Perth 6000 Ph: (08) 9482 7333 Fax: (08) 9482 7389 Website: www.fish.wa.gov.au e-mail: [email protected] ABN: 55 689 794 771