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(Click for large pic. 19Kb)
By far the largest of our Jew fishes, this species grows to a length of at least 1.8m (6 feet) and a known weight of 61 kg (1 34 lb.). It is one of the few really large edible fishes available to the average angler of South Queensland; the Jewfish is reasonably common in bays and rivers and along ocean beaches to about as far north as the Burnett River, and is quite usually taken at a weight of 7 kg (1 5 lb.) or better, It will bite readily on a wide variety of baits: bunches of worms festooned on a 6/0 hook or larger; live fishes, especially Gar, Southern Herring, and small Mullet; squid, particularly the head and trailing tentacles; cut baits of Whiting, Mullet or Striped Sea-pike; and a range of artificial plugs or lures.
This Jewfish characteristically makes a spectacular initial run that may strip the gears of reels or smash incautiously handled tackle; when this run is finished it may be followed by successively weaker ones, culminating in the fish being brought in lying on its side.
The Jewfish is rightly prized as a table-fish, but large ones should be bled as soon as possible after capture. On rare occasions they are infected with marine tapeworms; these have little effect on the fish, and none whatsoever on their edible qualities, provided the fish is cooked in the normal way.
Jewfish cause havoc among estuarine shoals of Mullet and Garfish, chopping into them with astonishing strength and vigour. The "chop" of a large feeding Jewfish resembles the sound obtained by energetically smacking the flat blade of a paddle on the water surface. This species is greyish-green above and silvery-grey below. It can be recognised in that the inside of the mouth and of the opercula are bright orange; there is a prominent black spot at the base of the pectoral fin.
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