Inland Angling Waters

Fishing & Aquaculture

A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria
Home

Fish Species Mentioned in this Guide

	Atlantic Salmon		Freshwater Catfish
	Australian Bass		Golden Perch
	Black Bream		Macquarie Perch
	Brown Trout		Murray Cod
	Carp		Rainbow Trout
	Chinook Salmon		River Blackfish
	Eels		Silver Perch
	English Perch		Trout Cod
	Estuary Perch

Freshwater Catfish (Tandanus tandanus)
Common Name:	Freshwater catfish
Other Name/s:	Jewfish, eel-tailed catfish, tandan catfish
Family:	Plotosidae
Scientific Name:	Tandanus tandanus Mitchell, 1838
Origin:	Native
The classification of "introduced" reflects its translocation to Australia and Victoria, and this category is noted in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (introduced to Australia after 1788 AD).

Conservation Status:
State: Classified as "endangered" under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Description
Elongate eel-like body with the tail tapering to a point. No scales and no adipose fin. Large head, flattened underneath, with moderate-sized eyes. Low mouth with thick, fleshy lips. Four pairs of whiskery barbels around the mouth. Tough, smooth skin. Dorsal and pectoral fins both have strong saw-edged spines. Colour varies with size; small fish to 15 cm are grey or brown on the back and the sides are often mottled with dark brown to black blotches; a white or yellowish belly. Larger fish lack the mottling and vary from olive-green to brown, black or purplish on the back and upper sides with a white belly.

Distribution
Murray River tributaries and the Murray River up to Echuca. Introduced into the Wimmera River at Horsham and Victoria Lake, Maryborough. Recently reported in the Yarra River in the Eltham area. Common in some areas, but not as abundant as in the past.

Habitat
Variety of habitats, including lakes, rivers, creeks and billabongs, usually in sluggish or still water. Inhabits and spawns in flowing streams.

Freshwater catfish prefer areas of sluggish or still water out of the current of the main channel. They are found in weedy areas on mud substrate and live and feed on the substrate.

The adults are usually solitary fish whereas juveniles form loose schools. They appear to be sedentary fish with very limited movement along the river. They are most active at night.

Brief Biology
Recorded to 90 cm in length and 6.8 kg in weight, individuals above 2 kg are uncommon. Essentially carnivorous bottom feeders, capable of exploiting a wide range of food sources. Crustaceans are the most important dietary item, followed by insects, snails and small fish. Water temperature between 20 and 24oC is considered the primary stimulus for spawning. Spawning involves construction of nests in sand or gravel by the male fish.

If the nest is exposed by a drop in water level, another nest is built. If several nests are built and abandoned because of fluctuating water, spawning will not occur. Females deposit eggs, leaving the male to fan, clean and guard the nest for up to 2 weeks, although eggs usually hatch within 7 days. Nests have been observed to be used for several consecutive years, whether by the same or different pairs of fish is not known.

Other Notes
The Wimmera River and its tributaries are the only waters in Victoria where freshwater catfish can be legally caught. They were introduced into the Wimmera River downstream of Horsham in the 1970's by the Wimmera Angling Association and are now abundant and widespread down to Jeparit.
They have established substantial enough populations to be exempted from the protection given all other Victorian populations of freshwater catfish under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Fish should be handled carefully, as the saw-edged spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins can inflict painful wounds. Mature fish apparently have very limited range of movement, usually less than 5 km, and local populations could be greatly affected by heavy fishing, pollution or destruction of habitat and spawning areas. Adult specimens have long been recognized as having good table qualities.

Regulations
Recreational Fishing Licence requirements, and the regulations affecting the taking of Freshwater catfish in Victoria, are provided in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from RFL sales agents and DPI Offices and Information Centres.

Further Reading
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

Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua)
Common Name:	Golden perch
Other Name/s:	Yellowbelly, callop, perch, Murray perch, white perch
Family:	Percichthyidae
Scientific Name:	Macquaria ambigua (Richardson, 1845)
Origin:	Native

Conservation Status:
State: Species member of the threatened "Lowland Riverine Fish Community of the Southern Murray Darling Basin" under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Description
Deep body with strongly tapered snout and protruding lower jaw in larger fish. Large mouth with a gape extending back to below the middle of the eye. Conspicuous open pores in the lower jaw. Rounded tail fin. Colour varies with habitat, upper body varies from dark brown, dark green, almost black to olive-green, bronze, gold, yellow or cream, becoming lighter to yellow or white on the lower sides and belly. Strong lateral line, very prominent on the rear half of the body. Pectoral fins are usually yellow, other fins vary in colour from dusky to yellowish or cream, sometimes with reddish or white edges on the lower and tail fins.

Distribution
Occurs naturally in Victorian tributaries of the Murray-Darling system, except higher altitude streams. Introduced into a number of other waters, streams and lakes, including Green Lake near Horsham and Wannon River near Hamilton.

Habitat
Variety of environments, but occurs most frequently in warm, turbid, sluggish inland waters and associated backwaters and billabongs.

Brief Biology
Can grow to 75 cm in length and 23 kg in weight, but is commonly less than 5 kg. A tolerant fish, being able to withstand water temperatures of 4 to 37oC, and salinities of 33,000 p.p.m. (almost that of sea-water).

Natural spawning is reported to occur at night from spring to summer when water temperatures are between 23 and 26oC. Spawning appears to be influenced by rises in water level and day-length. Adult fish will move considerable distances upstream to spawn. Does not usually spawn in dams unless water levels are manipulated. Grows well in farm dams, where rapid growth rates have been observed: 43 cm in five years.

Carnivorous, eating mainly crustaceans, insects, molluscs, with small fish such as goldfish and carp forming a large part of the diet in some areas. Feeding behaviour varies, with some individuals remaining in shaded areas or amongst weeds to take prey as it passes; other fish move slowly over weed beds to feed.

Management
Golden perch is a significant component of the Department's native fish program, with considerable numbers being purchased each year from commercial fish farms to stock rivers and lakes to restore existing populations or establish new recreational fishing populations in suitable waters. Some of these stocked waters are outside the natural range of the species.

Other Notes
An important recreational and commercial species, golden perch is now bred in hatcheries for stocking public waters and private private waters such as farm dams.

An underrated sport fish, caught readily on bait and lures, although it is a spasmodic biter. Flesh is firm and tasty with excellent eating qualities.

Distribution and abundance have been affected by environmental changes such as those caused by dams and weirs which have affected stream flows and water temperature regimes and acted as barriers to extensive migrations of adult fish.

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 and Information Centres.

Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica)
Common Name:	Macquarie perch
Other Name/s:	Silvereye, white-eye, bream, black bream, Murray bream, Goulburn bream, Murray perch, mountain perch, black perch
Family:	Percichthyidae
Scientific Name:	Macquaria australasica Cuvier, 1830
Origin:	Native
Conservation Status:
State: Classified as "endangered" under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Federal: Classified as "endangered" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

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 22oC. 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 of 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.

Murray Cod (Maccullochella peeli)
Common Name:	Murray cod
Other Name/s:	Cod
Family:	Percichthyidae
Scientific Name:	Maccullochella peeli (Mitchell, 1838)
Origin:	Native
Conservation Status:
State: Classified as "endangered" under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Federal: Classified as "vulnerable" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Description
Broad head with a depressed profile. Rounded snout, with jaws either equal or the lower jaw longer. A large mouth reaching behind the small eye. Rounded tail.

Back colour varies from brown or olive-green to yellow-green with brown to pale green mottling on the upper body, sides and fin bases.

Belly is white and the edges of the dorsal and tail fins may also be white. There is much variation in body shape and colour patterns.

Distribution
Occurs naturally and is widespread throughout the Murray-Darling system, becoming scarcer towards the head-waters. Distribution and abundance have declined in the past 50 years. Has been successfully introduced into a number of waters including the Yarra River.
There are few localities in Victoria where Murray Cod can be considered abundant.

Habitat
Occurs most frequently in sluggish, turbid waters, usually in deep holes, where logs and stumps afford cover and provide spawning sites. Will live and breed in lakes if water conditions and habitat are suitable. Occurs naturally in upper reaches of the Murray-Darling system where the water is relatively clear and there is little fallen timber.

Brief Biology
Murray cod can attain 1.8 metres in length and 113.5 kg, and commonly reaches 55-65 cm and weights of 2-5 kg. Usually sexually mature at 4 years of age, growth is rapid in the first 4-5 years, some individual fish reaching 64 cm in the fifth year.

Spawning occurs in the spring and summer months in water temperatures between 16 and 21oC. Females can lay up to 40,000 eggs which are deposited in hollow logs or shallow water. Eggs hatch 6 to 13 days later, with juvenile fish feeding freely about 3-4 weeks later.

Carnivorous, taking a wide variety of food from molluscs and crustaceans to many species of fish, and occasionally water birds such as ducks.

Other Notes
Largest of Australia's native freshwater fishes. A commercial and recreational species, its distribution and abundance have undergone a reduction through construction of dams, changes to river flows and temperatures and increased siltation of streams.

Flesh of smaller specimens has an excellent flavour and it keeps well; larger specimens tend to be coarse and oily.

Now produced in hatcheries which permits enhancement of existing populations or restoration of the species to waters considered suitable for survival and growth of released fish.

The Department stocks a number of waters each year with juvenile Murray Cod produced at its Snobs Creek Hatchery near Eildon or purchased from commercial fish farms

Murray cod was originally believed to be very territorial with a movement range of less than 10 km, which suggested that local effects such as overfishing, pollution or destruction of spawning areas could seriously reduce or eliminate local populations.

Studies in the lower Ovens River tracking Murray cod carrying miniature radio transmitters has revealed a much greater range during flood/spawning times, with distances up to 90 km before returning to almost the original location.

Regulations
Recreational Fishing Licence requirements, and regulations affecting the taking of Murray cod in Victoria, are provided in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from RFL sales agents and DPI Offices and Information Centres.

Rainbow Trout (Oncorynchus mykiss)
Common Name:	Rainbow trout
Other Name/s:	Steelhead trout
Family:	Salmonidae
Scientific Name:	Oncorynchus mykiss (Richardson, 1836)
Origin:	Introduced
The classification of "introduced" reflects its translocation to Australia and Victoria, and this category is noted in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (introduced to Australia after 1788 AD).

Description
Upper body colour varies from olive-green to steely-blue, sides are lighter and the belly usually silvery-white. The head and body are heavily marked with small black spots, which are most numerous on the upper body. Top and tail fins are also heavily spotted. There is often a pink, red or orange flash along the head and sides of the body. The adipose fin is large. Body colouration increases at spawning when the pink/red/orange stripe becomes deep crimson and the lower fins often become reddish. Lower body becomes grey and body spots become more conspicuous.

Distribution
Streams and lakes throughout Victoria, in many cases as self-supporting populations where suitable habitat exists. Some lake and reservoir populations are maintained by regular releases of hatchery-produced fish.

Habitat
Usually requires cool, well aerated water, typically in rivers and streams with fast flows and gravel bottoms, and in deep lakes and impoundments. usually more successful in lakes than rivers. Optimum water temperature range 10-22oC; lower critical range 0-9oC, upper critical range 22-30oC.

Brief Biology
Known to attain 1.2 metres in length and 18 kg in its native North American habitat (western coast), best specimens in Australia reach 70cm and about 9 kg. Generally fish larger than 60cm and 5 kg are uncommon.

Carnivorous, with young fish eating mainly aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates with worms, molluscs and crustaceans also being taken. Adults feed on small forage fish.

Males and females usually mature at 3 years of age, and males develop a distinctive upward hook on the lower jaw. Breeding season is generally winter and early spring, but spawning is known to occur in some Victorian streams as early as May and as late as October.

Females produce about 1,500 eggs per kg of body weight. Eggs are laid in gravel substrate in flowing water having relatively high dissolved oxygen levels. Hatching occurs in 3 to 12 weeks depending on water temperature. Growth rate varies considerably depending on water type and conditions and food supply.

Three-year-old fish of 275-325g have been found in some Victorian streams due to fish numbers exceeding available food, while fish of the same age in some Victorian lakes have weighed 2.5-4 kg reflecting better conditions and abundant food.

Management
The rainbow trout fishery in Victoria is roughly divided into two parts. The eastern half of Victoria has mainly self-supporting populations which exist where suitable habitat is available, while most suitable waters in the western half of the State depend on stocking with hatchery-produced fish - in most cases stocked waters are lakes or reservoirs.

Other Notes
Native to the western coastal drainages of North America from Mexico to Alaska. Introduced to Australia in 1894. Where rainbow trout and brown trout occur together, the brown trout usually dominates.

Stocking of artificially reared fish has been shown in many cases to be a wasteful and unnecessary exercise potentially harmful to self-sustaining stocks.
Hatchery-produced rainbow trout are rarely stocked in waters with easy access to the sea.

Faster growing fish than brown trout in most circumstances, but growth rate varies according to habitat and food supply. Lake Purrumbete in south-western Victoria once held the World record for growth, yearling fish reaching 1.4 kg, three-year-old fish reaching 8.4 kg.

These growth rates were exceptional and no longer occur partly because of the highly competitive and increasingly abundant redfin population in the lake (direct competition for food and space); partly because the very fast-growing populations were produced from stocking rates much lower than are now released; and partly because the productivity of the lake has declined markedly in the last 30 years and Galaxiids which were the staple diet of rainbow trout in the lake no longer occur in as large numbers as formerly.

An excellent angling fish, although its table qualities appear to be overrated. Reputed to be more easily caught than brown trout. Flesh colour varies from orange-red to pink and white, depending on diet.

Regulations
Details of recreational fishing licence requirements and regulations for the taking of Rainbow trout are available in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from Recreational Fishing Licence sales agents and DPI Offices.

River Blackfish (Gadopsis marmoratus)
Common Name:	River blackfish
Other Name/s:	Blackfish, slippery, slimy, marble cod, greasy
Family:	Gadopsidae
Scientific Name:	Gadopsis marmoratus (Richardson, 1848)
Origin:	Native

Description
Long rounded body. Very small scales. Long, low dorsal and anal fins, the dorsal fin appearing to be joined with the rounded tail fin, but actually separate. The pelvic fins are located on the underside of the body below the gills, and consist of one or two rays. Large head with rounded snout, low placed mouth which reaches back to the front edge of the eye. Lower jaw is shorter than the upper. Moderate sized eye located high on the head. Body invariably has a heavy coating of slime. Dorsal fin has 6-13 spines (as distinct from the Two-spined blackfish, G Bispinosus).

Colouring very vari-able, mottled yellowish, brownish-green or grey, but also dark brown to a light bluish or greenish-brown with blotches on the upper body, with many irregular darker blotches. Lower body may be light blue, yellow or purple. Fins olive-brown to black.

Distribution
Widespread in Victoria, both north and south of the Great Dividing Range. Common throughout most of its range.

Habitat
Although it is found in a variety of habitats, it is most common in cooler, flowing streams where there is plenty of rock cover with abundant snags, fallen timber and debris, and gravel bottom. A bottom fish. Also occurs in slow-flowing lowland rivers, coastal and in-land lakes, and reservoirs.

Brief Biology
Can grow to 60 cm and 5 kg, but is usually less than 30 cm and 450g. The number of eggs per female depends on body length. Relatively few eggs are laid, with a female of 30 cm laying about 500 eggs. Spawning occurs in spring and early summer when water temperatures reach about 16oC.

The strongly adhesive eggs are laid in hollow logs and rock cavities and have been found inside pieces of discarded PVC piping. Observation suggest that the male guards the eggs. Young fish hatch about a fortnight later, and at about 5 weeks old are actively swimming and seeking food. Con-fined as they are to the bottom and spending much of their time in the leaf litter and debris, predation on the young by crustaceans and dragonfly nymphs can be heavy.

The species will breed in streams and lakes, and has been known to breed in farm dams where suitable habitat is available. A carnivorous fish, eating a wide variety of aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans, smaller fishes and terrestrial invertebrates that fall into the water. Diet varies with locality and abundance of available food.

Other Notes
River blackfish (and the more re-cently described Two-spined River blackfish) are unique to Australia. An excellent angling species with sweet tasting flesh. Furtive and secretive, they move mainly at night, late evening and early morning in search of food.

Abundance has been affected in some areas due to the im-pact of man, including increased siltation of streams due to changed land usage, clearing of debris from streams (de-snagging), changed stream flow regimes resulting from the construction of water storages and in some cases competi-tion from intro-duced fish such as trout.

Two-spined Blackfish (Gadopsis bispinosus)
Common Name:	Two-spined blackfish
Family:	Gadopsidae
Scientific Name:	Gadopsis bispinosus (Sanger, 1984)
Origin:	Native

Description
Generally as for River blackfish, G. marmoratus described earlier, with the primary dis-tinc-tion being two, or rarely one or three spines in the dorsal fin. Often spotted (leopard-type) on the body, with white fin margins of the dorsal and anal fins.

Distribution
Appears to be confined to streams in north-eastern, east from King Parrot Creek. Populations of River blackfish exist in the Grampians area (western Victoria) which are very similar to Two-spined blackfish possessing down to 3 spines in the dorsal fin.

Habitat
Cool, flowing streams with gravel substrate and good instream vegetation, fallen tim-ber, debris and boulders, at higher altitudes.

Brief Biology
Similar to G. marmoratus described earlier.

Other Notes
Only recently identified as a dis-tinct species. Both species of blackfish may be found living together in the same section of stream, though River black-fish are generally in the lower elevation, slower-flowing warmer streams.

Regulations (both species):
Recreational Fishing Licence requirements, and regulations affecting the taking of blackfish in Victoria, are provided in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from RFL sales agents and DPI Offices and Information Centres.

Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus)
Common Name:	Silver perch
Other Name/s:	Bidyan
Family:	Terapontidae
Scientific Name:	Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell; 1838)
Origin:	Native
Conservation Status:
State: Classified as "critically endangered" under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Description
Silver perch are a moderate to large fish with a strongly compressed elongate-oval body covered in small, thin scales that have dark margins. Small head with a convex dorsal profile ending in a fairly long, snout with conical teeth. Eyes are small. Body deepest along lateral line. The tail is slightly forked. They are usually a silver-grey colour, but vary significantly according to water turbidity, and may become a gold or greenish colour. Whitish or very pale belly and dull grey fins. Juveniles similar, but with dark mottling dorsally.

Distribution
Native to the Murray-Darling river system, silver perch were once widespread and abundant throughout most of the basin area except for cooler high altitude streams. However, they have now declined to low numbers and have disappeared from much of their native range. In Victoria, silver perch have been recorded from 12 river basins including eight where populations occur naturally. The majority of records are from the Goulburn River, Loddon River, Murray Riverina, and Mallee.

The species is stocked by Fisheries Victoria into only a few Victorian waters including Lake Cullulleraine, near Mildura and the Wimmera River near Horsham.

Habitat
Silver perch have been recorded in a wide range of habitats throughout the Murray-Darling basin. In rivers, large streams, lakes and impoundments, habitat associations range from upland river rapids, to sandy beaches in turbid lowland rivers. Silver perch is one of the only larger native fish to appear near the water surface.

Brief Biology
This species can grow up to 8kg and 610mm, however they more commonly reach 410mm and 2.5kg. Silver perch are omnivorous, with algae becoming increasingly important in the diet with age. They undertake long upstream migrations entirely within freshwater.

Generally, spawning occurs in spring to summer with an increase in water level and increase in water temperature above 23 degrees. Fish aggregate in medium sized schools and after a period of pursuit and cajoling by the male (sometimes several males) the female typically releases around 300,000 spherical pelagic eggs into the water column. The release of sperm closely follows. There is no parental care.

Other Notes
The decline of silver perch populations in Victoria is most likely a result of a combination of factors. Barrier to fish passage, river regulation, introduced species, alteration of temperature regimes and loss of aquatic vegetation are among the most significant.

Aquaculture of this species is well developed and widespread.

Regulations
Recreational Fishing Licence requirements, and the regulations affecting the taking of silver perch in Victoria, are provided in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from RFL sales agents and DPI Offices and Information Centres.

Trout Cod (Maccullochella macquariensis)
Common Name:	Trout cod
Other Name/s:	Bluenose cod
Family:	Percichthyidae
Scientific Name:	Maccullochella macquariensis (Cuvier, 1829)
Origin:	Native
Conservation Status:
State: Classified as "critically endangered" under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Federal: Classified as "endangered" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Description
Broad depressed head with a rounded snout and a straight forehead profile. Larger upper jaw, overhanging lower jaw. Larger eyes than Murray cod. Body colouring can be dark to light brown but generally bluey-grey, with small dark grey to black spots or dashes on the upper body extending on to the lower sides and on the bases of the dorsal, caudal and anal fins.

Fins mainly grey to dark grey, often edged with white. Markings are fewer (if any) on the head, and a dark horizontal stripe usually extends from the nose through the nostril and eye onto the gill cover.

Lateral line follows the upper body profile and extends to the tail. Known to have reached 800 mm in length and 16 kg in weight, more commonly 400-500 mm and 1.5-3 kg. Largest fish recorded in Victoria was 685 mm and 11 kg.

Distribution
In Victoria, believed to have been once fairly wide spread in north-central and north-eastern streams flowing into the Murray River.
The only known self-sustaining population of trout cod in Victoria is confined to the Seven Creeks system near Euroa.

Distribution is currently being extended as suitable waters are identified and fish produced at Snobs Creek Hatchery for stocking these waters in a program aimed at establishing new viable populations (see "Management").

Habitat
Cooler upper reaches of streams, usually in flowing pools between falls and rapids where the stream bottom is bed-rock, boulders and sand or gravel substrates. Larger fish are usually found in the deeper holes, smaller fish beneath and amongst boulders.

Brief Biology
Trout cod spawn during spring-early summer when water temperatures are about 17-18oC, and are thought to breed at a smaller size than Murray cod. Eggs are adhesive and laid on or near the stream bottom.

Diet includes aquatic insects and crustaceans such as yabbies, crayfish and shrimps. They may also leap from the water to take food items just above the surface.

Management
The Department has been conducting research on trout cod for some years, and is now successfully breeding the species at Snobs Creek Hatchery.

Since 1988 juvenile trout cod have been released into a number of streams which have been identified as potentially suitable habitat for stocking the species in an attempt to establish additional trout cod populations.

Other Notes
Closely related to the Murray cod. Although first described in 1829, it was not until 1972 that it was recognised scientifically as a distinct species from Murray cod.

Apart from environmental changes such as those caused by dams, siltation and "river improvement" activities, it is likely, because of similarities in habitat requirements, certain aspects of observed behaviour (such as establishment of territories), and feeding habits, that introduced trout may have been a factor in the decline in range and abundance of trout cod.

Trout cod settle down well in aquaria and take a variety of natural and artificial foods.

Current Regulations
Recreational Fishing Licence requirements, and regulations affecting the taking of Trout cod in Victoria, are provided in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from RFL sales agents and DPI Offices and Information Centres.

The taking of trout cod from Victorian waters is prohibited, and the possession of trout cod is permitted only by a permit issued by the Department.

Victoria's principal viable population of trout cod in Seven Creeks is protected by a total closure to fishing of the section of stream between Polly McQuinns Weir near Strathbogie downstream to the Galls Gap road bridge below Gooram Falls.

page top

Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia