Australian Fish Photos, Seafood Photographs and Information

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Beche De Mer
(Sea Cucumber - Trepang)

Australian salmon or Australasian salmon, known as kahawai in New Zealand, are medium-sized perciform marine fish of the small family Arripidae (also spelled Arripididae). Four species are recognized, all within the genus Arripis; they are found in the waters off southern Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Despite the common name, Australian salmon are not related to the salmon (family Salmonidae) of the Northern Hemisphere; the former were named so by early European settlers after their superficial resemblance to the salmoniform fishes.

Australian Salmon have moderately rounded, elongated bodies.  Their dorsal fin is much longer than the anal fin and has 9 spines and 15-19 rays.  Their caudal fin is forked.  Australian Salmon are olive green to steel blue with small dark spots on the back and upper sides, and pale yellow-green to silvery white below.  The pectoral fins are bright yellow.  Juveniles are silvery white with several rods of large golden or brown spots on the back and sides. 

Australian Salmon are endemic to the Australasian region, and inhabit southern Australian waters and also Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, the north and south islands of New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands.

They live in continental shelf waters and are also found in estuaries, bays and inlets.  They school in shallow, open coastal waters and can move over reefs in depths just sufficient to cover their bodies.  Juvenile Australian Salmon are found over soft substrates in shallow and sheltered coastal waters.  They are often found over seagrass beds and in mangrove-lined creeks.  They can tolerate temperature and salinity extremes, such as those found in the gulfs in South Australia and the Coorong.  Larger fish move into exposed coastal waters such as around rocky headlands near reefs and the surf zone.

Australian Salmon are taken by recreational anglers.  they are especially popular with beach and rock anglers.  They are targeted by shoreline and boat based trolling.   The most common method is the use of pilchard bait on 'ganged' (linked) hooks.   Metal lures also work well.

They are opportunistic feeders and they feed on crustaceans and small fish, pilchards, anchovies, tommy ruff, southern sea garfish and calamari, squid and polychaete worms.   Migrating schools of Australian salmon are preyed on by whaler sharks, white pointer sharks, grey nurse sharks, dolphins and occasionally seals.

Angling for Australian Salmon or Kahawai:

Salmon are commonly taken on baits of cut fish flesh, whole pilchards and garfish on ganged hooks, bottle squid or squid pieces, prawns, beach worms and pipis. They are highly prized by anglers and commercial fishermen. Large concentrations of feeding birds often indicate the presence of kahawai, which go into surface feeding frenzies similar to those of bluefish (tailor). They feed actively on anchovies and other small fish and can be caught on these or on fast moving lures. On light tackle, the kahawai is a very sporting catch and will leap repeatedly. It is also ideally suited to fly fishing. They will also occasionally take crabs, cunjevoi or even bread, particularly in a berley trail. Larger specimens will take live yellowtail or mullet baits.

• Read more about Catching & Fishing for Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta)

Cooking Australian Salmon:

The Australian salmon or kahawai provides reasonable table fare. It is a dark-fleshed, strongly flavoured fish suitable for smoking, baking or being made into fish cakes. It is popular in Tasmania, Victoria and parts of South Australia and Western Australia, but not highly regarded as a table fish in New South Wales. In areas where salmon are unpopular table fare, this fine sporting fish should always be carefully released to fight again.

• Read more about Cooking Australian Salmon | Recipes for Kahawai

Australian Salmon are Wild caught. Australian salmon are a commercial species harvested primarily by beach seining or bottom set gillnetting.  They can also be caught using modified purse seining techniques in which fishers operate in shallow waters behind the surf line.  Large fish are also taken on trolling gear. Relatively long-lived fish, Australian salmon are a favored target of recreational fishers, and both commercial and traditional Māori fisheries. They are also common bycatch of the snapper, mullet, trevally, and mackerel fisheries. These species are all taken in great numbers by way of purse seine nets and trawling. They are also caught by skilled fishermen along the southern coastline of Australia by beach seining. Due to declining numbers and ever-increasing annual catch sizes, the future viability of the Australian salmon stock has been put into question. Buyers and Sellers of Australian Salmon Arripis trutta & Kahawai are listed.

• Read more about Commercial Fishery Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta) | Trading Kahawai

More resources about Australian Salmon:

Trade Seafood Industry Directory Buyers and sellers of Australian Salmon Arripis trutta & kahawi, , Australian fisheries statistics, dept Primary Industries Fishing & Aquaculture species link, commonwealth fisheries association

• Read more about Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta) Links & Resources