Argyrosomus japonicus is a silvery to bronze-green colored fish, a member of the family Sciaenidae, which may grow up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length. It is known as Japanese meagre (FAO), mulloway or jewfish in the eastern states of Australia, mulloway in South Australia, kingfish or river kingfish in Western Australia, and dusky kob, dusky salmon, salmon, Kob, or kabeljou in South Africa, Ô-nibe (大鮸, オオニベ) in Japan, Sawwa Krokar Fish or Sawwa Machli in Pakistan. The name jewfish refers to its large otoliths, which are prized as "jewels" by some fishers.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withArgyrosomus japonicus is a large, slender fish which can grow to 2 m (6 ft 7 in). It has a copper-colored head and is silvery with a bronze-green dorsal surface and paler belly. It has a row of distinctive white spots running along the lateral line. The caudal fin is angular in juveniles but becomes more rounded in larger fish.
Argyrosomus japonicus has an Indo-Pacific distribution occurring in coastal waters surrounding Australia, Africa, India, Pakistan, China and Japan. Adults are gregarious and are found over soft bottoms mainly beyond the surf zone, occasionally going inshore. Juveniles are exclusively found in shallow water and sometimes move into estuaries.
Mulloway or jewfish can be found from the brackish water up the top of estuaries down to the mouths, bays, rocks and beaches all the way out to offshore reefs. They can even be found in urban areas. They can be found under deep water marinas, boat moorings, bridges and jetties even shelving rocks and caves. They are accessible to the majority of Australian Recreational Anglers.
Although described as a benthic carnivore, Mulloway are capable of feeding throughout the water column. Mysid shrimp are important food items for smaller juvenile fish (<150 mm (5.9 in)). As the fish increase in size the diet changes to include small finned fish, then larger finned fish and squid and other cephalopods.
As of 2020, the stock status of mulloway in New South Wales is classified as 'depleted'. In South Australia and Western Australia, the stock status is 'sustainable'. In Queensland, the stock status is 'undefined'.
