I & I NSW Wild Fisheries research Program Striped Grunters (Terapontidae)

Exploitation Status Undefined

Striped grunter are small estuary/inshore fish caught as byproduct in estuarine and inshore ocean fisheries. Little biological information is available.

Scientific name Standard name comment

Pelates sexlineatus eastern Also known as striped trumpeter.

Pelates quadrilineatus fourline striped grunter Also known as striped trumpeter.

Terapon jarbua crescent grunter Also known as crescent perch.

Terapon theraps largescale grunter Also known as banded grunter.

Pelates quadrilineatus Image © Bernard Yau

Background Striped grunter (more commonly known as of ‘trumpeter’ are reported from the Ocean trumpeter) are relatively small shallow water Trawl Fishery but, as the species composition fishes belonging to the familyT erapontidae. is unverified, landings from ocean fisheries are This family includes 30 Australian species which not currently included. mostly inhabit freshwater or estuaries; only nine The main species in the estuarine catch is the species are marine. To avoid confusion with eastern striped grunter (Pelates sexlineatus) the larger and more commercially important which is found between southern Queensland southern trumpeters (e.g. the Tasmanian and Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast. The ‘striped trumpeter’, Latris lineata), all members striped grunter is a small schooling fish that of the Terapontidae are now referred to as grows to about 20 cm in length and inhabits grunter. large estuaries, bays and inshore coastal waters Up to five tonnes per year of striped grunters to about 30 m depth. It frequents large reef have been reported from NSW estuaries, mostly areas but is also commonly found on smooth from the Estuary General Fishery (~ 80%) but trawling and hauling grounds. Very little is also with small amounts from the Estuary known about the biology of eastern striped Prawn Trawl Fishery. Similarly small quantities grunter.

status of fisheries resources in nsw, 2008/09 Striped Grunters | p 327 wild fisheries research program

At least three other tropical members of the Further Reading family are known from northern NSW: fourline Grant, E.M. (1982). Guide to Fishes. Brisbane, striped grunter (P. quadrilineatus), crescent Department of Harbours and Marine. grunter () and largescale grunter (T. theraps). These species are similar in size and Henry, G.W. and J.M. Lyle (2003). The National appearance to the eastern striped grunter and Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey. Final may occur in small quantities in catches from Report to the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation and the Fisheries Action Program northern NSW. Project FRDC 1999/158. NSW Fisheries Final Report Significant numbers of striped grunters are Series No. 48. 188 pp. Cronulla, NSW Fisheries. caught by recreational fishers, but due to their Hutchins, B. and R. Swainston (1999). Sea Fishes of small size they are frequently discarded. Southern Australia - Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Smithfield, NSW, Gary Allen Pty Ltd. Additional Notes Kuiter, R.H. (1993). Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern • Colloquial name for both estuary and ocean Australia. Honolulu, University of Hawaii press. species is ‘trumpeter’. Neira, F.J., A.G. Miskiewicz and T. Trnski (1998). Larvae of temperate Australian fishes. Nedlands, WA, University of WA Press. Catch Potter, I.C. and G.A. Hyndes (1999). Characteristics Recreational Catch of Striped Grunters of the ichthyofaunas of southwestern Australian estuaries, including comparisons with holarctic The annual recreational harvest of striped estuaries and estuaries elsewhere in temperate grunter in NSW is likely to be less than 10 t. This Australia: A review. Australian Journal of Ecology 24: estimate is based upon the results of the offsite 395-421. National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Potter, I.C., N.R. Loneragan, R.C.J. Lenanton, P.J. Survey (Henry and Lyle, 2003) and onsite Chrystal and C.J. Grant (1983). Abundance, surveys undertaken by I & I NSW. distribution and age structure of fish populations in a Western Australian estuary. Journal of Zoology 200 (1): 21-50. Historical Landings of Striped Grunters Smith, K.A. and I.M. Suthers (2000). Consistent timing of juvenile fish recruitment to seagrass beds within

10 two Sydney estuaries. Marine and Freshwater Research 51: 765-776. 8

6 Please visit the CSIRO website, http://www.marine.csiro.au/caab/ and search for the species code (CAAB) 37 321005, 37 321001, 4 Landings (t) 37 321002 and 37 321003, common name or scientific name to find further information. 2 0

90/91 92/93 94/95 96/97 98/99 00/01 02/03 04/05 06/07 08/09 Financial Year Commercial landings (including available historical records) of striped grunter for NSW from 1990/91 to 2008/09 for all fishing methods.

© State of New South Wales through Industry and Investment NSW 2010. You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute Industry and Investment NSW as the owner.

D 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 328 | Striped Grunters