
Also known as:
Barred javelinfish
Grunter
Grunter bream
Javelin grunt
Queensland trumpeter
Yellow finned javelinfish
Common Group Name:
Sweetlips, Grunts and Javelinfishes
Family Name:
Haemulidae
Genus Name:
Pomadasys
Species Name:
Pomadasys kaakan
Dispatch Method:
To maximise their eating qualities javelinfish should be killed humanely by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding. Other species of closely related grunters have similar brain locations.
Fish Description:
- Color is generally silver above, white below. Small specimens have several (7-8) rows of brownish spots aligned vertically along the flanks, resembling bands.
- The bands become faint or become lost on larger specimens.
- This species mainly inhabits turbid inshore waters over sandy or muddy bottoms, feeding mainly on prawns and crabs, but also molluscs (crushing the shells with their powerful teeth) and small fishes.
- These fish reach sexual maturity after only 1 year and can live for upwards of 36 years.
Fish Distribution:
- This species occurs in tropical estuaries throughout the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and east coast of Africa throughout southeast Asia, north to Taiwan, and south to Australia including northern NSW along the east coast, and Shark Bay in WA.
Fish Size Common Length:
30-50 cm, maximum length around 80 cm and 6 kg weight.