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Australian coarse fish


The Flying Tench

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I can't get over hearing, in connection with the recent UK perch record, a comment on another site that the Oz perch record is over 10 kilos (22lbs)! Do other fish grow big there? If not, what's it about perch? If yes, why is it? Is it all the lager that eventually finds its way into the rivers? And is there hope for here?

john clarke

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Australia shows in www.fishbase.org as having 126 species with Perch as part of the name. They have a pair that are simply "Perch" but neither is a Perca. In fact, I can't find any OZ fish belonging to Perca whatever showing for them.

 

Perch, Australia, Macquaria ambigua

Perch, Australia, Nemadactylus macropterus

 

It is very possible that one of their Perch runs to 10Kg and some of the ocean varieties probably get larger.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Flying Tench,

 

I was also intrigued by the comments on the CEMEX site and found the Perca fluviatilis, or Red Fin Perch. It's discussed on this site;

 

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfact...sh/pfluviat.htm

 

(Not sure how to make it a link.)

 

It does look like a Stripey and does grow to 10.4 KG and 60cm in length!

 

That must be some lob worm to tempt one of these!

 

Comus

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Flying Tench,

 

I was also intrigued by the comments on the CEMEX site and found the Perca fluviatilis, or Red Fin Perch. It's discussed on this site;

 

 

Comus

 

 

I'm sure that's the scientific name for our 'stripey', so it must be the conditions and diet, they were introduced in the mid 1800s.

Angling is more than just catching fish, if it wasn't it would just be called 'catching'......... John

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The Australians have Perch,Carp and Brown Trout all brought from the UK.I think they call the Perch "Yellow Perch" now?

 

A lot of species seem to thrive if relocated into warmer climbs.

 

Ive never seen much about any other "native" freshwater species though as I think Im right in saying the Mulloway Cod and Barramundi can live in both salt and fresh?

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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A lot of species seem to thrive if relocated into warmer climbs.

 

Lots of them do but at least over here, Perch don't seem to be among that group. They are a fairly common sporting fish in the northern US but basically unknown in the southern US.

 

My location in North Carolina is a little south of center but certainly not deep south and the few perch I catch are tiny with any over around 4oz being large.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Our perch (Perca fluviatilis) usually grows to about 4 to 5 lb in Australia, just as it does here. It is known as the "redfin" and is regarded as vermin in some states (just like carp). I've caught them in Tasmania, but only up to a pound or so.

 

I happen to have one of the books that CMEX cite as a reference - it gives the usual maximum weight of Perca fluviatilis as 2kg (ie about 4lb and a few ounces.) but then gives the throwaway line ....... "is known to have reached more than 10kg in Australia - but this is unusually large" . The mind boggles.........

 

I remember Dick Walker saying he had once caught a perch of over 4lb and had one over twice that size follow it to the net - thats big, but the Aussie 20 lb plus strains the credibility a bit. Will ask Chevin to do a bit of research....

 

My first reaction is to question the identification of the 10kg fish. There are some big freshwater perch-like fishes in Oz, like the Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua) which goes up to 23 kg (around 50 lb) It wouldn't be the first time a "record" fish was misidentified, The bream "record" was once held by a leather carp, and many will remember the brown goldfish and crucian "records" being claimed for the same fish caught on two occasions.

Edited by Vagabond

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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The English Perch is known as a 'Redfin' and has been caught to well over 5kg. There are records of an English perch weighing 10 Kg from way back. They are considered a pest but are also considered very good eating.

 

The Yellow belly or Golden Perch is a very different species.

 

The 10kg fish referred to is the same species as ours as it is a descendent.

 

Trout also grow very big in parts of Australia.

 

Large carp can be found but are by no means as common as many believe. Small carp are present all over the southern part of the country and are also considered a pest.

 

Roach and Tench can also be found but do not achieve high weights.

 

Cahal

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