
Also known as:
Blackfish
Black bream
Darkie
Nigger
Nigger Fish
Pacific bream
Parore
Rockperch
Common Group Name:
Drummers, Parore
Family Name:
Kyphosidae
Genus Name:
Girella
Species Name:
Girella tricuspidata
Dispatch Method:
The eating qualities of these fish can be greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Normal colouration for luderick is kakhi green to brown, or bluish-grey, with up to 11-12 thin tapering vertical bars on the side of the body, which fade to silvery below.
- Male fish mature in their third year at around 22-25 cm while females usually mature at a slightly larger size at around 26 cm.
- A 30 cm luderick is probably around 5 years old, while a 40 cm fish may be upwards of 15 years old.
Fish Distribution:
- Luderick occur in estuaries and nearshore rocky reefs from South east Queensland to Tasmania and east to New Zealand.
- Because of their diet of mainly algae, they are usually found associated with weedy habitats.
Fish Size Common Length:
25-30 cm, maximum size 70 cm and 4 kg.