Recreational fishing

identification guide

May 2017
 CONTENTS

About this guide �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1

Offshore demersal ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3

Inshore demersal �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4

Nearshore �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12

Estuarine ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19

Pelagic ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������20

Sharks ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������23

Crustaceans ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������25

Molluscs ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������27

Freshwater – Northern Inland ����������������������������������������������������������������������28

Freshwater – Southern Inland ����������������������������������������������������������������������29

Cover: Harlequin fish Othos dentex. Photo: Shannon Conway.

Published by Department of Fisheries, Perth, Western Australia.

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 103, fifth edition, May 2017.
ISSN: 1447 – 2058 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-877098-84-0 (Print)
ISSN: 2206 – 0928 (Online) ISBN: 978-1-877098-83-3 (Online)

ii Fish identification guide

About this guide

T his guide has been developed to help you identify the more
common species in Western Australia that you may encounter.
The purpose of this recreational fishing guide is to greatly
enhance consistent and accurate species identification.
If you are unsure about a particular species (or if it is not in this
guide), please discuss it with a representative of the Department
of Fisheries, Western Australia. You can access additional
information on the website www.fish.wa.gov.au

Six broad ecological depth-based habitats are recognised within each

bioregion. Finfish species are listed in the habitat where they most
commonly occur. Sharks and crustaceans are presented separately as
they may occupy many habitats.
Land

FRESHWATER PAGE 28
PELAGIC
PAGE 20 ESTUARINE PAGE 19

20m NEARSHORE PAGE 12

250m INSHORE DEMERSAL
PAGE 4

OFFSHORE DEMERSAL
PAGE 3

Fish identification guide 1

 About this guide (continued)
Throughout this guide you will see all or some of the following coastal
bioregion symbols with each fish illustration, indicating where the species is
most likely to occur.

NC North Coast GC Gascoyne Coast WC West Coast SC South Coast

Freshwater species inhabit the inland bioregions, which are shown on the
maps on pages 28 and 29.

114° 50' E
North Coast
(Pilbara/Kimberley)
Kununurra
Gascoyne
Coast
NC
Broome

GC
Port Hedland
21° 46' S
Karratha
Onslow
As
hbu
Exmouth r ton
Rive
r

Carnarvon
Denham
27 °S

Kalbarri
Geraldton

West
Coast Eucla
Perth
WC Esperance
Augusta
Black Point
Albany South Coast
115°30' E

SC

2 Fish identification guide

Offshore demersal

Eightbar grouper Blue-eye trevalla

(Grey banded rockcod, eightbar cod) Hyperoglyphe antarctica
Hyporthodus octofasciatus

Hapuku Ruby snapper

Polyprion oxygeneios Etelis carbunculus

Bass groper Flame snapper

Polyprion americanus Etelis coruscans

Fish identification guide 3

 Inshore demersal

Juvenile Juvenile
West Australian dhufish Western blue groper
(Dhuie) Achoerodus gouldii
Glaucosoma hebraicum

Northern pearl perch Blue morwong

Glaucosoma buergeri (Queen snapper)
Nemadactylus valenciennesi

Juvenile
Pink snapper Harlequin fish
(Snapper, pinkie) Othos dentex
Chrysophrys auratus

Painted sweetlips Sea sweep

(Slatey bream, sweetlip) Scorpis aequipinnis
Diagramma labiosum

4 Fish identification guide

 Yelloweye redfish Common coral trout
Centroberyx australis (Leopard coral trout)
Plectropomus leopardus
Mainly offshore in NC and GC

Bight redfish Barcheek coral trout

(Red snapper, nannygai) (Inshore coral trout)
Centroberyx gerrardi Plectropomus maculatus

Swallowtail Yellowedge coronation trout

Centroberyx lineatus (Coronation trout, lunartail trout)
Variola louti

Juvenile
Sergeant baker Chinamanfish
Aulopus purpurissatus (Chinaman)
Symphorus nematophorus

Fish identification guide 5

 Inshore demersal (continued)

Spangled emperor Longnose emperor

Lethrinus nebulosus (Long-nosed emperor)
Lethrinus olivaceus

Grass emperor Redspot emperor

(Black snapper, blue-lined emperor, (Pink-eared emperor)
grass snapper, tricky snapper) Lethrinus lentjan
Lethrinus laticaudis

Bluespotted emperor Redthroat emperor

(Lesser spangled emperor) (Sweetlip emperor)
Lethrinus punctulatus Lethrinus miniatus

Yellowtail emperor Barramundi cod

Lethrinus atkinsoni Chromileptes altivelis

6 Fish identification guide

 Blackspotted rockcod Yellowspotted rockcod
(Malabar cod, estuary cod, slimy cod) (Spotted cod, honeycomb cod)
Epinephelus malabaricus Epinephelus areolatus

Goldspotted rockcod Frostback rockcod

(Estuary cod, slimy cod, greasy grouper) (Spotted cod, honeycomb cod, frostback cod)
Epinephelus coioides Epinephelus bilobatus

Potato rockcod PROTECTED SPECIES Duskytail grouper

(Potato cod) (Spotted trout, trout cod)
Epinephelus tukula Epinephelus bleekeri

Juvenile Juvenile
Queensland groper PROTECTED SPECIES Rankin cod
(Giant grouper, Queensland grouper) (Whitespotted rockcod)
Epinephelus lanceolatus Epinephelus multinotatus

Fish identification guide 7

 Inshore demersal (continued)

Breaksea cod Mangrove Jack

(Black arse snapper) (Jacks)
Epinephelides armatus  Lutjanus argentimaculatus

Juvenile
Rosy threadfin bream Darktail snapper
Nemipterus furcosus (Maroon seaperch, dark tailed seaperch)
Lutjanus lemniscatus

Robinson’s seabream Brownstripe snapper

(Robinson’s bream, Robinson’s perch) (Flagfish)
Gymnocranius grandoculis Lutjanus vitta

Moses’ snapper Stripey snapper

(Moses’ perch, fingermark bream) (Spanish flag, stripey seaperch)
Lutjanus russellii Lutjanus carponotatus

8 Fish identification guide

 Crimson snapper Golden snapper
(Crimson seaperch, red snapper) (Fingermark seaperch, fingermark bream)
Lutjanus erythropterus Lutjanus johnii

Saddletail snapper Goldband snapper

(Scarlet seaperch) Pristipomoides multidens
Lutjanus malabaricus

Maori snapper Rosy snapper

(Maori seaperch) (Rosy jobfish, crimson jobfish)
Lutjanus rivulatus Pristipomoides filamentosus

Red emperor Sharptooth snapper

(Reds) (Sharptooth jobfish)
Lutjanus sebae Pristipomoides typus

Fish identification guide 9

 Inshore demersal (continued)

Humphead Maori wrasse PROTECTED SPECIES Bluespotted tuskfish

Cheilinus undulatus  Choerodon cauteroma

Goldspot pigfish Blue tuskfish

(Goldspot foxfish) (Bluebone)
Bodianus perditio  Choerodon cyanodus

Foxfish Blackspot tuskfish

(Western foxfish) (Bluebone)
Bodianus frenchii Choerodon schoenleinii

Baldchin groper Purple tuskfish

(Baldie) (Grass tuskfish, bluebone)
Choerodon rubescens Choerodon cephalotes

10 Fish identification guide

Bluebarred parrotfish
Scarus ghobban

Frypan bream
Argyrops bleekeri

Bighead gurnard perch

(Gurnard perch)
Neosebastes pandus

Fish identification guide 11

 Nearshore

King George whiting Western trumpeter whiting

(KG) Sillago burrus
Sillaginodes punctata

No dot markings on Faint or no bars

base of pectoral fin

Yellowfin whiting
(Sand whiting, silver whiting)
Southern school whiting Sillago schomburgkii
(Sand whiting, school whiting)
Sillago bassensis

Dot markings on base Well defined bars Goldenline whiting

of pectoral fin (Golden-lined whiting)
Sillago analis

Western school whiting

(Sand whiting, school whiting)
Sillago vittata

Yellowtail scad
(Yellowtail, yellowtail horse mackerel)
Trachurus novaezelandiae

12 Fish identification guide

 Black markings on tail

Australian herring Mulloway

(Herring, tommy ruff) (River kingfish)
Arripis georgianus Argyrosomus japonicus

Juvenile
Western Australian salmon (Salmon) Black jewfish
Arripis truttaceus (Northern mulloway)
Juvenile, often called salmon trout, looks like adult Protonibea diacanthus
Australian herring but has smaller eye and pointy head

Southern garfish Western butterfish

(Gardie, southern sea garfish) (Butterfish, buttery)
Hyporhamphus melanochir Pentapodus vitta

Dark blotch below

dorsal fin

Lower lobe of
tail fin longer
Juvenile
Three-by-two garfish Bluespotted goatfish
(Robust garfish, storm garfish) (Red mullet)
Hemiramphus robustus Upeneichthys vlamingii

Fish identification guide 13

 Nearshore (continued)

Silver trevally Horseshoe leatherjacket

(Skipjack, skippy) Meuschenia hippocrepis
Pseudocaranx georgianus
This includes the smaller sand trevally (P. wrightii)

Longtom Sixspine leatherjacket

Family Belonidae (Reef leatherjacket)
Meuschenia freycineti

Snook Tailor
Sphyraena novaehollandiae (Chopper – small tailor)
Pomatomus saltatrix

Yellowtail barracuda Banded sweep

(Pike, striped seapike) Scorpis georgiana
Sphyraena obtusata

14 Fish identification guide

 Blue mackerel Greenback mullet
(Slimey mackerel, common mackerel) Liza subviridis
Scomber australasicus

Oriental bonito Bluetail mullet

Sarda orientalis Valamugil buchanani

Barramundi Sea mullet

 Lates calcarifer (Mullet)
Mugil cephalus

Diamondscale mullet Yelloweye mullet

Liza vaigiensis (Pilch, yellow-eyed mullet)
Aldrichetta forsteri

Fish identification guide 15

 Nearshore (continued)

Chinaman rockcod Bludger trevally

(Charlie court) Carangoides gymnostethus
Epinephelus rivulatus

Queenfish Turrum
(Queenie) (Goldspotted trevally)
Scomberoides spp. Carangoides fulvoguttatus

Western yellowfin bream Golden trevally

(Yellowfin bream) (Banded trevally)
Acanthopagrus morrisoni Gnathanodon speciosus

Northwest black bream Giant trevally

(Pikey bream) (GT)
Acanthopagrus palmaris Caranx ignobilis

16 Fish identification guide

 4 pectoral
filaments
Blotched javelin Blue threadfin
(Blotched javelinfish) (Bluenose threadfin salmon, blue salmon)
Pomadasys maculatus Eleutheronema tetradactylum

5 pectoral
filaments
Barred javelin King threadfin
(Spotted javelinfish) (Giant threadfin salmon, giant threadfin)
Pomadasys kaakan Polydactylus macrochir

Silver toadfish POISONOUS Giant sea catfish

(North-West blowfish) (Giant salmon catfish)
Lagocephalus sceleratus Arius thalassinus

Weeping toadfish POISONOUS Tripletail

(Blowie, pufferfish, common blowfish)  Lobotes surinamensis
Torquigener pleurogramma

Fish identification guide 17

 Nearshore (continued)

Male

Female

Western King wrasse Common dart

Coris auricularis  Trachinotus botla

Brownspotted wrasse Sea trumpeter

Notolabrus parilus  Pelsartia humeralis

Male

Female
Southern maori wrasse
Ophthalmolepis lineolatus

Western striped grunter

(Trumpeter, striped trumpeter)
Pelates octolineatus

18 Fish identification guide

Estuarine

Yellowtail flathead Smalltooth flounder

(Bartailed flathead) Pseudorhombus jenynsii
Platycephalus westraliae

Northern sand flathead Largetooth flounder

(Sand flathead, flag tailed flathead) Pseudorhombus arsius
Platycephalus endrachtensis

Southern bluespotted flathead Black bream

(Bluespotted flathead, southern flathead) Acanthopagrus butcheri
Platycephalus speculator

Estuary cobbler Tarwhine

(Cobbler) (Silver bream)
Cnidoglanis macrocephalus Rhabdosargus sarba

Fish identification guide 19

 Pelagic

Juvenile
Samsonfish Southern bluefin tuna
Seriola hippos Thunnus maccoyii

Amberjack Longtail tuna

Seriola dumerili (Northern bluefin tuna)
Thunnus tonggol

Yellowtail kingfish Mackerel tuna

(Kingfish, kingie) (Jack mackerel, kawakawa)
Seriola lalandi Euthynnus affinis

Yellowfin tuna Dogtooth tuna

Thunnus albacares (Doggie)
Gymnosarda unicolor

20 Fish identification guide

 Spanish mackerel Shark mackerel
(Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel) (Scaly mackerel, salmon mackerel)
Scomberomorus commerson Grammatorcynus bicarinatus

(CONTINUED)

Grey mackerel Blue marlin

(Broad-barred Spanish mackerel, Makaira nigricans
broad-banded mackerel)
Scomberomorus semifasciatus

Spotted mackerel Black marlin

(Australian spotted mackerel) Makaira indica
Scomberomorus munroi

School mackerel Striped marlin

(Queensland school mackerel, doggie) Tetraputerus audax
Scomberomorus queenslandicus

Fish identification guide 21

 Pelagic (continued)

Sailfish Mahi mahi

Istiophorus platypterus (Dolphinfish)
Coryphaena spp.

Cobia
(Black kingfish)
Rachycentron canadum

Wahoo
 Acanthocybium solandri

Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda

22 Fish identification guide

Sharks
Broad, angular Interdorsal
upper teeth ridge

Dusky whaler Whitetip reef shark

Carcharhinus obscurus Triaenodon obesus

Narrow hook-
shaped upper No interdorsal
teeth ridge

Bronze whaler Whiskery shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus Furgaleus macki

Sandbar shark Gummy shark

(Thickskin shark, northern whaler, sand shark) (Southern gummy shark)
Carcharhinus plumbeus Mustelus antarcticus

Tiger shark Western spotted gummy shark

 Galeocerdo cuvier Mustelus stevensi

Fish identification guide 23

 Sharks (continued)

Hammerhead sharks White shark PROTECTED SPECIES

Family Sphyrnidae Carcharodon carcharias

Wobbegongs Sawsharks
Family Orectolobidae Family Pristiophoridae

Greynurse shark PROTECTED SPECIES Sawfishes PROTECTED SPECIES

Carcharias taurus Family Pristidae

Port Jackson shark

Heterodontus portusjackson

24 Fish identification guide

Crustaceans

Claw spines
reduced or blunt
prominences
Western rock lobster
Panulirus cygnus Short, broad lobes One small blunt
between the eyes spine or no spines
at all on the elbow

Southern rock lobster Brown mud crab

Jasus edwardsii (Orange mud crab)
Scylla olivacea

Claw spines
large and
Painted rock lobster distinct
(Tropical rock lobster, green rock lobster) Long, narrow lobes More than
Panulirus versicolor between the eyes one prominent
sharp spine on
the elbow

Ornate rock lobster Green mud crab

(Tropical rock lobster) (Giant mud crab)
Panulirus ornatus Scylla serrata

Fish identification guide 25

 Crustaceans (continued)

Blue swimmer crab

(Blue manna, blue crab)
Portunus armatus (formerly P. pelagicus)

Prawns
Family Penaeidae

26 Fish identification guide

Molluscs

Roe’s abalone Squid

Haliotis roei Order Teuthoidea

Greenlip abalone Octopus

Haliotis laevigata Octopus spp.

Brownlip abalone Cuttlefish

Haliotis rubra conicopora Sepia spp.

Fish identification guide 27

 Freshwater – Northern Inland
Two different bioregions apply for
freshwater species – the Northern Inland
Bioregion (shown on the map below)
and the Southern Inland Bioregion.

Redclaw
Kununurra (Queensland red claw crayfish)
Cherax quadricarinatus
Broome

Port Hedland

NI
Karratha
Onslow
As
hbu
Exmouth r ton
Rive
r Northern
Carnarvon Inland
Denham
27 °S

Kalbarri
Cherabin
(Freshwater prawns)
Geraldton
Macrobrachium spp.

Southern Eucla
Perth Inland
Esperance
Augusta
Black Point Albany

Silver cobbler
(Lake Argyle catfish, Ord River catfish)
Neoarius midgleyi

Western sooty grunter

(Sooty grunter)
Hephaestus jenkinsi

28 Fish identification guide

 Kununurra
Freshwater – Southern Inland
Broome

Two different bioregions apply for

freshwater species – the Northern Inland
Port Hedland
Karratha
Bioregion and
Onslow the Southern Inland
Bioregion As
h(shown
Exmouth bur ton on the map below).
Rive
r Northern
Carnarvon Inland
Denham
27 °S

Kalbarri Redfin
SI
Geraldton Perca fluviatilis

Southern Eucla
Perth Inland
Esperance
Augusta
Black Point Albany

Freshwater cobbler
(Freshwater catfish)
Tandanus bostocki

Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss Marron
Cherax cainii

Brown trout
Salmo trutta

Fish identification guide 29

 INDEX OF COMMON NAMES
A
Blue threadfin.................................. 17
Amberjack....................................... 20
Blue tuskfish................................... 10
Australian herring............................. 13
Breaksea cod.................................... 8
B Bronze whaler.................................. 23
Baldchin groper................................ 10
Brownlip abalone............................. 27
Banded sweep................................. 14
Brown mud crab............................... 25
Barcheek coral trout........................... 5
Brownspotted wrasse....................... 18
Barramundi ..................................... 15
Brownstripe snapper.......................... 8
Barramundi cod................................. 6
Brown trout...................................... 29
Barred javelin................................... 17
Bass groper....................................... 3 C
Bighead gurnard perch..................... 11 Cherabin.......................................... 28

Bight redfish...................................... 5 Chinamanfish..................................... 5

Black bream.................................... 19 Chinaman rockcod........................... 16

Black jewfish................................... 13 Cobia.............................................. 22

Black marlin.................................... 21 Common coral trout........................... 5

Blackspotted rockcod......................... 7 Common dart................................... 18

Blackspot tuskfish........................... 10 Crimson snapper................................ 9
Blotched javelin................................ 17 Cuttlefish......................................... 27
Bludger trevally................................ 16
D
Bluebarred parrotfish........................ 11
Darktail snapper................................ 8
Blue-eye trevalla................................. 3
Diamondscale mullet........................ 15
Blue mackerel.................................. 15
Dogtooth tuna.................................. 20
Blue marlin...................................... 21
Duskytail grouper............................... 7
Blue morwong.................................... 4
Dusky whaler................................... 23
Bluespotted emperor.......................... 6
Bluespotted goatfish........................ 13 E
Bluespotted tuskfish........................ 10 Eightbar grouper................................. 3
Blue swimmer crab.......................... 26 Estuary cobbler................................ 19
Bluetail mullet................................. 15

30 Fish identification guide

F K
Flame snapper................................... 3 King George whiting......................... 12
Foxfish............................................ 10 King threadfin.................................. 17
Freshwater cobbler........................... 29
L
Frostback rockcod.............................. 7
Largetooth flounder.......................... 19
Frypan bream................................... 11
Longnose emperor............................. 6

G Longtail tuna.................................... 20
Giant sea catfish............................. 17 Longtom.......................................... 14
Giant trevally.................................... 16
M
Goldband snapper.............................. 9
Mackerel tuna.................................. 20
Goldenline whiting............................ 12
Mahi mahi....................................... 22
Golden snapper................................. 9
Mangrove Jack................................... 8
Golden trevally................................. 16
Maori snapper................................... 9
Goldspot pigfish............................... 10
Marron............................................ 29
Goldspotted rockcod.......................... 7
Moses’ snapper................................. 8
Grass emperor................................... 6
Mulloway......................................... 13
Great barracuda............................... 22
Greenback mullet............................. 15 N
Northern pearl perch.......................... 4
Greenlip abalone.............................. 27
Northern sand flathead.................... 19
Green mud crab............................... 25
Northwest black bream..................... 16
Grey mackerel.................................. 21
Greynurse shark............................... 24 O
Gummy shark.................................. 23 Octopus.......................................... 27
Oriental bonito................................. 15
H
Ornate rock lobster.......................... 25
Hammerhead sharks........................ 24
Hapuku............................................. 3 P
Harlequin fish.................................... 4 Painted rock lobster......................... 25
Horseshoe leatherjacket................... 14 Painted sweetlips............................... 4
Humphead Maori wrasse ................. 10 Pink snapper..................................... 4

Fish identification guide 31

 Index of common names (continued)
Port Jackson shark........................... 24
Potato rockcod................................... 7
Prawns............................................ 26
Purple tuskfish................................. 10
Q
Queenfish........................................ 16
Queensland groper............................. 7
R
Rainbow trout.................................. 29
Rankin cod........................................ 7
Redclaw........................................... 28
Red emperor...................................... 9
Redfin............................................. 29
Redspot emperor............................... 6
Redthroat emperor............................. 6
Robinson’s seabream......................... 8
Roe’s abalone.................................. 27
Rosy snapper..................................... 9
Rosy threadfin bream......................... 8
Ruby snapper..................................... 3
S
Saddletail snapper............................. 9
Sailfish............................................ 22
Samsonfish..................................... 20
Sandbar shark................................. 23
Sawfishes ....................................... 24
Sawsharks....................................... 24
School mackerel.............................. 21
Sea mullet....................................... 15
32 Fish identification guide
Sea sweep........................................ 4
Sea trumpeter................................. 18
Sergeant baker.................................. 5
Shark mackerel................................ 21
Sharptooth snapper........................... 9
Silver cobbler................................... 28
Silver toadfish ................................. 17
Silver trevally................................... 14
Sixspine leatherjacket...................... 14
Smalltooth flounder.......................... 19
Snook............................................. 14
Southern bluefin tuna....................... 20
Southern bluespotted flathead.......... 19
Southern garfish ............................. 13
Southern maori wrasse..................... 18
Southern rock lobster....................... 25
Southern school whiting................... 12
Spangled emperor.............................. 6
Spanish mackerel............................ 21
Spotted mackerel............................. 21
Squid.............................................. 27
Striped marlin.................................. 21
Stripey snapper.................................. 8
Swallowtail........................................ 5
T
Tailor............................................... 14
Tarwhine.......................................... 19
Three-by-two garfish ......................... 13
Tiger shark...................................... 23
Tripletail.......................................... 17 Yellowtail emperor.............................. 6
Turrum............................................. 16 Yellowtail flathead............................ 19
Yellowtail kingfish............................. 20
W
Yellowtail scad................................. 12
Wahoo............................................. 22
Weeping toadfish............................. 17
West Australian dhufish...................... 4
Western Australian salmon................... 13
Western blue groper........................... 4
Western butterfish............................ 13
Western King wrasse........................ 18
Western rock lobster........................ 25
Western school whiting..................... 12
Western sooty grunter...................... 28
Western spotted gummy shark.......... 23
Western striped grunter.................... 18
Western trumpeter whiting................ 12
Western yellowfin bream................... 16
Whiskery shark................................ 23
White shark .................................... 24
Whitetip reef shark........................... 23
Wobbegongs.................................... 24

Y
Yellowedge coronation trout................ 5
Yelloweye mullet............................... 15
Yelloweye redfish................................ 5
Yellowfin tuna.................................. 20
Yellowfin whiting............................... 12
Yellowspotted rockcod........................ 7
Yellowtail barracuda......................... 14

Fish identification guide 33

 Before you go fishing, let someone know where you
are going and contact them if your plans change.
Always let them know when you return.
The information in this guide is current at the date
of printing, but may change. A separate guide on
fishing rules is available.
For the most up-to-date information on fishing, visit
the Department of Fisheries website or contact us.
The latest version of each brochure is available for
download in PDF format from the website.

Produced for the Survey of Recreational

Fishing in Western Australia.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES – HEAD OFFICE

Gordon Stephenson House,
140 William Street, Perth WA 6000
T: (08) 6551 4444 F: (08) 9482 7389
www.fish.wa.gov.au
customerservice@fish.wa.gov.au
ABN: 55 689 794 771

940/17
Illustrations © R.Swainston/www.anima.net.au