Australian Salmon
Arripis Trutta
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Quick Facts
Distribution
- The Australian Salmon is a powerful, streamlined fish that can grow to about 89 cm long. Despite the name, it is not related to true salmon at all.
- It lives along the southern half of Australia, from southern Queensland down through New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and across to South Australia. Its range also extends to New Zealand and some of the islands beyond.
- Australian Salmon are built for speed. The body is long and slender, and the tail fin is forked and strong. This shape suits a fish that spends its life moving through open water close to the coast.
- Juveniles are easy to spot by their colour. Young fish are bright on the upper sides, with golden bars that break into large spots as they grow. Adults settle into a darker blue-green above and silvery white below.
- This species is a schooling fish, and the schools can be large. Huge groups are regularly seen moving along the open coast, and there can be a real advantage in hunting together.
- Australian Salmon are known to hunt in schools when chasing swarms of small prey. Research has shown that schooling actually improves how successfully they feed, compared with hunting alone.
- They feed mainly on small fish near the surface, along with krill and other small crustaceans. Juveniles often move into bays and estuaries to feed while they grow.
- Spawning happens in the surf zone, mainly between Lakes Entrance in Victoria and Bermagui in New South Wales. They are thought to spawn in batches through late spring and summer rather than all at once.
- Australian Salmon begin breeding at around 30 to 36 cm long, which is well before they reach their full size. They are thought to be about four years old by the time they first spawn.
- They can live for a surprisingly long time. The oldest recorded Australian Salmon reached 26 years of age.
- Larger predators in the water and seabirds above both target schooling Australian Salmon. For the fish themselves, staying in a tight school offers some protection from attack.
- Australian Salmon are found from the surface down to about 50 m deep. They spend most of their time in shallow coastal waters, and young fish especially tend to stay close to shore.
Species Interaction
Australian Salmon: A Surf Fisher's Staple and Commercial Net Target
- Recreational Fishing
- Commercial Harvest
- Seafood
- Ecosystem Role
Australian Salmon are one of the most commonly caught fish by recreational anglers along the southern and eastern coasts, taken from beaches, rocks and boats using lures and bait. They also support substantial commercial fisheries in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, where purse seine and haul nets land large volumes. As a fast, hard-fighting schooling fish, they are popular with surf and rock anglers even where they are not prized as table fish. In the food web, they are an important mid-level predator of small pelagics.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Teleostei
- Order: Scombriformes
- Family: Arripidae
- Genus: Arripis
- Species: Arripis trutta
Conservation Status
The Australian Salmon is not listed under Australia’s EPBC Act, and the IUCN has not formally assessed the species. Eastern Australian Salmon stocks have been monitored under state fisheries management, and the species is generally considered stable across its range from southern Queensland to South Australia. No protected or threatened status applies at a national level.
Interaction Highlights
Commercial
Market demand, not stock levels, tends to drive commercial catch volumes.
Ecosystem
They link small pelagics to larger predators throughout the southern food web.
Seafood
Eaten but not widely regarded as premium table fish; often sold smoked or canned.
How to catch
Australian Salmon
Catch Difficulty: Moderate
Tackle: Ganged hook rig, Running sinker rig, Artificial lure, Metal jig
Bait: Pilchards, Metal lures, Hard-body lures, Fresh cut fish bait
Technique: Fish bait near reef or structure, Cast near schooling fish, Cast lures near structure, Retrieve lures quickly, Troll lures or bait, Berley to attract fish
Popularity: Highly popular target species
Recreational Viewing
- Snorkeling & Scuba
Finding: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Location: Inner Reef, Sandflats, Open Ocean
Danger: None
