Yellowtail Kingfish

Interesting Info

• The Yellowtail Kingfish is one of Australia’s most famous sport fish—fast, powerful, and built like a torpedo.
• It can grow up to 250 cm (8.2 ft) and weigh nearly 100 kg (220 lb), but most caught are around 80–100 cm (2.5–3 ft).
• In Australia it is found from southern Queensland around the southern states, including New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, west to Trigg Island in Western Australia. It also occurs off Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
• Yellowtail Kingfish are bluish-green on the back, silver on the sides, with a golden stripe running along their body and a bright yellow tail.
• Juveniles often school in shallow bays or around floating debris, while adults move to reefs, rocky drop-offs, and deep offshore waters.
• They are fierce predators, feeding on baitfish such as mackerel, pilchards, and squid, often striking prey in lightning-fast bursts.
• Divers and snorkellers sometimes see them patrolling reef edges or circling large schools of baitfish.
• Yellowtail Kingfish are a bucket-list catch for anglers—famous for their long runs and brutal fights that can break even heavy tackle.
• Aussie anglers call them “Hoodlums” because of their habit of diving into reefs or wrecks to bust fishing lines.
• Tagging programs have shown they can migrate hundreds—even thousands—of kilometres, linking populations across regions like Australia and New Zealand.
• They spawn offshore in warm months, releasing eggs into the open water. Larvae drift in the plankton until settling in nursery grounds.
• Large adults often form seasonal spawning aggregations around offshore pinnacles and islands.
• Females mature later than males, usually between 5–7 years, and Kingfish can live over 12 years, sometimes up to 20.
• They are also a spear fisher’s dream—big, bold, and often cruising close to reef edges.
• In South Australia, Yellowtail Kingfish are farmed in Spencer Gulf for the sashimi market, exported worldwide.