Australia country information

Common names: Australian herring, Australian herring, Bull herring
Occurrence: endemic
Salinity: marine
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Importance: commercial | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Aquaculture: never/rarely | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Tommy ruff inhabit nearshore continental shelf waters of southern Australia from the Gippsland Lakes in eastern Victoria to Shark Bay (Ref. 27296), yet are absent from Tasmania. Stock structure: Tommy ruff comprise a single structure. Commercial fishery: Three quarters of the total annual catch of tommy ruff is taken in Western Australia, where a commercial fishery has operated since the 1940s in the south and lower west coasts from slightly east of Bremer Bay to near Fremantle. This fishery accounts for about 90% of the Western Australian tommy ruff catch (Ref. 27949). In South Australia, the tommy ruff fishery is located inshore in both gulfs and the west coast bays (Ref. 27947). Throughout the year tommy ruff are mainly caught as an incidental catch of the more sought after (and more highly valued) southern garfish, King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctata) and calamary (Sepioteuthis australis) but they are targeted when those species are less abundant in spring (August) to early summer (December). This coincides with the pre-migration period. The South Australian fishery catches older juveniles and immature adults, 1-3 years of age and 13-21 cm FL. The fish targeted in Western Australia are either in pre-spawning or spawning condition (Ref. 27946), between 15 cm and 30 cm FL, and from 200 g to 400 g (Ref. 27947, 27128). The main fishery takes place in autumn and early winter and the largest catches are taken in April (Ref. 27949). However, adult non-spawning tommy ruff which entered estuaries and inshore waters either as juveniles or mature adults support an almost year-round fishery. Tommy ruff are caught by various methods. Haul nets, gillnets, power hauling and trap nets (Ref. 27949) are used in sheltered waters and beache seines are used on ocean beaches. Teams of fishers operate the trap nets. Lampara (modified hauling) nets and gillnets are set at night. In South Australia, hand and power hauled nets are mainly used in gulf waters. In Victoria, tommy ruff are mainly taken as bycatch of inshore fisheries concentrated in inlets and open coastal waters between Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes. Recorded catches have declined from a high of 57 t in 1965-66 to 10 t in 1984-85. Tommy ruff are marketed as whole fish either fresh, smoked or frozen. Tommy ruff are consumed locally in Western Australia and South Australia or exported to Victoria. They are not a high value fish. Recreational fishery: Tommy ruff are very popular recreational fish and substantial catches are taken near population centres such as Geraldton, Perth, Rottnest Island, Garden Island (near Perth) and Esperance in Western Australia, and Adelaide to Port Lincoln, Coffin Bay and Ceduna in South Australia. Anglers catch tommy ruff from jetties, boats, rocky shores and beaches, using rod-and-line, handline, trolled spinners or lures, haul nets and set gillnets (Ref. 27946, 27949, 27950). Most of the angling catch of tommy ruff from around Rottnest Island is taken during April and May, when the fish are in pre-spawning condition (Ref. 27951). In the Blackwood River estuary near Augusta in Western Australia, March and April are the most popular months for tommy ruff fishing (Ref. 27951), and in the year from May 1974, an estimated 68,000 tommy ruff were landed from the estuary. Recreational fishing is important in South Australia during summer (October to February) but there are no estimates of the total catch (Ref. 27652, 27950). The size range of caught fish is 15-37 cm TL (Ref. 27950). Resource status: Catches have increased in South Australia and Western Australia from 1983 to 1993 mainly due to increased fishing effort. Up until 1993, the stock appeared to be in good condition or under-exploited throughout its range (Ref. 27946, 27947). The high incidental catch in South Australia makes it difficult to estimate the amount of fishing effort on this species (Ref. 27947). Year to year fluctuations in the catch of tommy ruff in South Australian gulf waters is related to the strength of the eastward-flowing Leeuwin Current. Also Ref. 4537.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Arripidae (Australian salmon)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

大眼澳鲈, سمك سليمان خشن، سلمون خشن, Ruff, ... more

Main reference

Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve. 1993. (Ref. 6390)
References | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 41.0 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27296); max. published weight: 800.00 g (Ref. 27296); max. reported age: 7 years (Ref. 27652)

Environment

Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range 1 - ? m (Ref. 6390)

Climate / Range

Temperate, preferred 17°C (Ref. 107945); 26°S - 39°S, 112°E - 150°E

Distribution

Eastern Indian Ocean: endemic to the southern coasts of Australia.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10; Vertebrae: 25. Large eyes, diameter of which about one fifth of the head length. Body scales are slightly rough to touch. Body coloration: green above and silvery below with vertical rows of golden spots on the upper sides, tips of the caudal fin are black. Juveniles have dark golden bars on their sides (Ref. 6390). Length of upper lobe of caudal fin < 29.9% SL (Ref. 9701).

Usually found inshore in bays and estuaries over seagrass beds or near areas of seaweed (e.g. kelp), on rocky reefs, and along ocean beaches. Juveniles are found in inshore coastal waters, bays and inlets (Ref. 6390). Feed on small fish and prawns (Ref. 27946).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.6250 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.3 ±0.76 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.8-1; tm=2-4; tmax=7; Fec=190,000)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Low vulnerability (22 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high

Arripis georgianus (Valenciennes, 1831)