
Also known as:
Pearlies
Pearly
Bull-eye
Epaulette-fish
Nannygai
Common Group Name:
Pearl perches
Family Name:
Glaucosomatidae
Genus Name:
Glaucosoma
Species Name:
Glaucosoma scapulare
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.