
Also known as:
Bass
Common Group Name:
Freshwater Perches
Family Name:
Percichthyidae
Genus Name:
Percalates
Species Name:
Percalates novemaculeata
Dispatch Method:
Beware of the sharp gill covers and dorsal spines of Australian bass when handling them. The eating qualities of this species can be improved if they are killed humanely by iki jime, or a firm knock to the head, before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Australian bass are difficult to distinguish from the closely related estuary perch (Macquaria colornum), but can be identified using:
- differences in head shape (straight profile in bass, concave in estuary perch), and gill raker counts (12 to 15 in bass, 14 to 18 in estuary perch).
Fish Distribution:
- This species is found in freshwater reaches of rivers along Australias east coast from the Burnett River System in QLD to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria.
- Enters estuaries during spawning season in winter or peak flood periods.
Fish Size Common Length:
30-40 cm, maximum length 65 cm and around 4.5 kg weight.