Dispatch Method:

To maximise their eating qualities these fish should be killed humanely by iki jime, or a firm knock to the head, before being placed in an ice slurry after bleeding. Large black jewfish can be energetic and therefore hard to handle. A firm knock on the head may be easier to implement to stun the fish first before attempting iki jime.

Fish Description:

• Black jewfish can be distinguished from southern jewfish (mulloway) by the narrower shape of the tail peduncle, and their darker colouration.
  
• This species has a rapid growth rate, reaching 60 cm in around 2 years and maturing in around 4 years at 80-90 cm.
  
• These fish are very susceptible to barotrauma (pressure damage from being pulled out of deep water) and catch and release from water deeper than 15 meters is not recommended.

Fish Distribution:

• This species occurs throughout the Indo-west Pacific region from the Persian Gulf and India, north to Japan and south to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.
  
• They occur in estuaries and coastal waters over muddy bottoms, rocky reefs and other structures.
  
• There are several different populations of black jewfish in northern Australia, each with its own discreet spawning area to which fish return year after year.

Fish Size Common Length:

60-100 cm, maximum size 150+ cm and 40+ kg.