Southern black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri)

Scientific name: Acanthopagrus butcheri Munro, 1949

Southern black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri)

The Southern black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) is a freshwater fish of the family Sparidae. Native range: Indo-Pacific, endemic to southern Australia.

Biology

Endemic in coastal areas, rivers and estuaries of Australia. Most abundant in river mouths and estuaries. Inhabit brackish waters of coastal rivers and lakes, occasionally penetrating fresh water. Considered as the only true estuarine sparid in Australia. Larvae and small juveniles are most abundant over seagrass beds in shallow estuarine waters. Spawning period varies considerably between estuaries. Remain upstream in sheltered waters to spawn and is not usually found in purely marine habitats. Feed on shellfish, worms, crustaceans, small fish and algae. Sold as whole, chilled products in domestic markets. One of top angling species in southern Australia, as well as being a delicious table fish.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Acanthopagrus butcheri
Family
Sparidae (Porgies)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
60.0
Common length
24.0
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: endemic to southern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.11; tm=2-5; tmax=29)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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