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Fact Sheet: Blowfish

The common blowfish or ‘blowie’ (also known as the weeping toadfish or banded toadfish) is abundant in estuaries and coastal waters throughout south-west Western Australia. It is often regarded as a nuisance because it gobbles bait, making it hard for fishers to catch other species of fish. Unlike true ‘pest’ species, blowfish are not actually an introduced species but are native to our marine environment. Blowfish play a vital role in marine ecosystems, keeping them clean by eating scrap, bait and berley.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 18.04.2023

Hillarys School Excursion: Fisheries Management

This interactive activity gives students an overview of some of the fisheries management tools the Department applies to recreational fishing activity to sustainably manage our aquatic resources.

Resource type: School ExcursionLast updated: 14.12.2022

Poster: Fish Ageing

This poster shows how fisheries scientists at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) use scales and, more accurately, otoliths, to age fish. Determining the ages of fish tells scientists the health of the overall population. From this information, informed fisheries management practices can be applied to ensure fish for the future.

Resource type: PosterLast updated: 07.12.2022

Fact Sheet: Fish ageing

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has the largest collection of fish ages in Australia. Our fisheries scientists have processed and aged 381,000 fish (December 2022), ranging from small estuarine to large marine species. This information is held in a database at the Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, which dates back to 1990 (and even earlier for some species!).

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 07.12.2022

Fact Sheet: Western Blue Groper

In southern Australia, the western blue groper is actually the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs, reaching a length of up to 1.7m and a weight of up to 40kg. Learn more about the biology of this fish in this fact sheet.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 22.06.2022

Fun Fact Sheet: Australian Sea Lion

The Australian sea lion is only found in Western Australia and South Australia and in the rarest sea lion species in the world.

Resource type: Fun Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fun Fact Sheet: Asian Paddle Crab

The Asian paddle crab, also know as the Lady Crab, is an introduced crab that usually lives in the waters off South East Asia.

Resource type: Fun Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Sawfish

The unusual-looking sawfish family are a type of ray and are therefore related to sharks . Found in both marine and freshwater, these predatory fish derive their name from their long snouts lines with sharp points. An identification and general information guide on Sawfish.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Mud Crab

Mud crabs are prized by recreational fishers for their impressive size and delicious taste.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Estuarine cobbler

Cobbler or catfish as they are known outside Western Australia, are 'endemic' to Australia, meaning they're only found here. They live in the southern half of the country, in coastal and estuarine waters up to about 30 metres deep.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Black Bream

Black bream is one of the most important recreational and commercial fish species in the estuaries of south-Western Australia. A 'true' estuarine species, black bream complete their whole lifecycle within an estuary and are reliant on healthy rivers and estuaries for their survival.
To find out more, download this fact sheet.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Potato Cod

The captivating potato cod is truly a giant of the fish kingdom. Its massive size and homebody nature draws divers who are looking for a story to tell about their underwater adventure.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Whale Shark

Despite their huge size, whale sharks are docile, filter feeders that cruise the world's oceans looking for plankton.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Baldchin Groper

This fact sheet covers information on the biology and ecology of the Baldchin groper.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Humphead Maori Wrasse

The humphead Maori wrasse is easily recognisable, being over 2 metres long with a large hump on its head and big fleshy lips.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Australian Herring

Australian herring are a popular species with a lifecycle dependent on prevailing currents.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Blue Swimmer Crab

This fact sheet provides information about blue swimmer crabs, a tropical crustacean species found in Western Australia mainly between Karratha and Dunsborough. Also known as a blue manna crab, it is an important recreational and commercial fishing species.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Abalone

Abalone are a family of reef-dwelling marine snails which are the target in Western Australia of a lucrative export commercial fishery and one of the world's shortest recreational fishing seasons.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Marron

Marron are the largest freshwater crayfish in Western Australia and the third largest freshwater crayfish on Earth. Find out more about the biology of these freshwater species in this fact sheet.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

Fact Sheet: Pink Snapper

Pink snapper are one of Western Australia's best-known and most sought-after fish. This fact sheet provides information on the widely distributed Pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) and their biology.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022

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