Dispatch Method:

The eating qualities of pearl perch and related species such as WA dhufish 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:

• This species is silvery with large eyes and several brown longitudinal scale rows that are particularly prominent in juveniles. Juvenile fish also have a dusky vertical brown bar band through the eye.
  
• The name pearl perch comes from their prominent grey/blue supraclavical bone that extends out on each side of the upper rear of the operculum. These bones have a thin layer of skin covering them, which when removed reveals the “pearl” in the form of the bone beneath, which is a brilliant pearly white.

Fish Distribution:

• Pearl perch are endemic to a relatively small area offshore from central and southern Queensland down to the central coast of NSW.
  
• They occur offshore near the bottom in waters up to 200 metres deep, mainly over rock ledges and rocky reefs and other bottom features such as cliffs and gutters.
  
• During the day they occur mainly in schools feeding on the bottom, but they can rise well off the bottom to feed in midwater at night.

Fish Size Common Length:

35-50 cm, maximum size around 70 cm and 7.3 kg.