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Freshwater Fish of Victoria: Macquarie Perch | FN0050 |
Fisheries Victoria, Melbourne
Updated: March 2007
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Name:
Macquarie perch
Other Names:
Silvereye, white-eye, bream, black bream, Murray bream, Goulburn bream, Murray perch, mountain perch, black perch
Family:
Percichthyidae
Scientific Name:
Macquaria australasicaCuvier, 1830
Status:
Native, Vulnerable | |
Macquarie perch has been listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Under this legislation, the taking, possession or trading of Macquarie perch is prohibited without a permit, license or Governor-in-Council Order issued under the Act.
The taking of Macquarie perch from Victorian waters by rod and line in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries Act and the Fishing Regulations is permitted under the powers of a Governor-in-Council Order of August 1991.
Departmental research and management activities have been authorised by an Order made under the powers of the Act by the Governor-in-Council.
Description
Tapered snout with upper and lower jaws of equal length. Conspicuous pores on the lower jaw. Back colouration varies from black or dark silvery-grey, dark brown to dark-grey, bluish-grey or green-brown on the upper body.
Sides are lighter, belly is usually paler to off-white, often with a bronze or yellowish tinge. Pectoral fins grey to yellowish. Pelvic fins often rosy with black edges, and other fins generally greyish, often with a purplish tinge.
Juvenile fish are often mottled on the back and sides. Second spine in the anal fin is longest.
Distribution
Occurs naturally north of the Great Dividing Range in tributaries of the Murray-Darling system.
Introduced to a number of waters south the Divide, but now persisting as self-supporting populations only in the Yarra River and Wannon River.
Abundance and distribution reduced by construction of dams on streams, changes to river flow and temperature regimes, siltation of spawning streams and impact of introduced species including trout and redfin. Redfin virus has probably had a major impact on Macquarie perch populations.
Habitat
Naturally a riverine fish, preferring deep holes. Cool, upper reaches of Victorian tributaries of the Murray-Darling system. Does well in impoundments with suitable spawning streams (Victoria's best population is in Lake Dartmouth where this large lake is fed by suitable shallow spawning streams including the Mitta Mitta River.
Brief Biology
Can attain weight of 3.5 kg, but more commonly in Victoria lengths of 35-40 cm and weights of 750g-1 kg. Males can mature at 2 years of age and up to 21 cm; females at 3 years of age and up to 30 cm, although local conditions may induce the species to breed at smaller or larger sizes.
Females of 30 cm or larger may produce between 50 000 and 110 000 eggs. Spawning usually occurs during spring or summer (October-January) with water temperatures between 16 and 22°C. Breeding occurs in flowing water where there are rock or gravel substrates. Eggs hatch after 10 to 18 days. Growth can be rapid, a five-year-old fish being 38 cm. Fish of 10 years of age have been collected. Carnivorous, taking its food by a sucking motion, principal diet items being aquatic insects with some crustaceans and molluscs.
Other Notes
Good angling and excellent eating. Range and abundance have been greatly reduced during the past 50 years and, with the exception of the population in Lake Dartmouth, and smaller populations in several other localities, most occurrences of the species are limited to small numbers of fish.
Now being propagated under hatchery conditions; juvenile fish are being released into a number of waters with the objective of restoring or re-establishing viable populations on Macquarie perch in suitable waters.
Mature fish have also been translocated from Lake Dartmouth to Lake William Hovell on the King River and Lake Eildon. Details of Macquarie perch releases are available in Information Notes Series - Fisheries Notes detailing native fish stocking programs.
Regulations
Recreational Fishing Licence requirements, and the regulations affecting the taking of Macquarie perch in Victoria, are provided in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from RFL sales agents and DPI Offices.
Further Reading
Freshwater Fish of Victoria is a series of brief information material on the native and introduced freshwater fish of Victoria's inland waters. Further, detailed reading on Macquarie perch is contained in:
- A Guide to the Freshwater Fish of Victoria, Phillip Cadwallader & Gary Backhouse, Department of Conservation and Environment
- Australian Freshwater Fishes, John R. Merrick & Gunther E. Schmida
- Biological Information for Management of Native Freshwater Fish in Victoria, J D Koehn, W G O'Connor
Acknowledgements
This Information Note was developed by Charles Barnham PSM, with the assistance of Gary Backhouse, Phillip Cadwallader and Tarmo Raadik. The previous version was published in February 1998.
The advice provided in this publication is intended as a source of information only. Always read the label before using any of the products mentioned. The State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
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