We've found 59 resources matching your search.
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: 09.03.2026
Nuisance or necessary?
The common blowfish, or ‘blowie’, is abundant in estuaries and coastal waters throughout south-west Western Australia (WA). It is often regarded as a nuisance because it gobbles bait, making it hard for fishers to catch other species of fish.
However, while the blowfish will never win a popularity contest, it has an important role in marine ecosystems. The blowie is native to WA and keeps our waterways clean by eating up waste scrap, bait and berley.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 19.12.2025
Roe’s Abalone are a reef-dwelling marine snail in Western Australia which are the target of one of the world’s shortest recreational fishing seasons. Despite this fishing pressure, WA can boast one of the few remaining sustainable wild-stock abalone fisheries.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 24.11.2025
This fact sheet covers information on the biology and ecology of the Baldchin groper.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 17.09.2025
Colourful and protected by a strong carapace, the western rock lobster is one of the family of 'spiny' lobsters - and the target of WA's largest and most valuable fishery. This fact sheet explores the basic biology of the western rock lobster.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 17.09.2025
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: 05.09.2025
A fact sheet providing information on Western Australian dhufish, a fish species endemic to the southern part of Western Australia. Its great size and superb eating qualities make this fish a Western Australian fishing icon.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 03.09.2025
Of the 370-plus shark species in the world, more than 100 species live in Western Australian waters. This fact sheet provides general information about the biology of sharks, protected species and their vulnerability to overfishing.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.05.2025
White sharks are warm blooded. They have a heat-exchanging circulatory system that allows them to maintain their body temperature above that of the surrounding seawater. This allows them to swim at high speeds through cooler water.
Resource type: Fun Fact SheetLast updated: 02.05.2025
Marine parks help to conserve marine biodiversity and provide special places for people to learn about, enjoy and appreciate spectacular marine areas.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 13.02.2025
Redfin perch are a medium sized freshwater fish native to the Northern Hemisphere which were first introduced to Western Australia’s inland waters in 1903.
Learn about their biology, habitat, lifecycle and diet, and their impacts on native fish species. The fact sheet also includes information about other large predatory species, including Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch, eel tailed catfish and Australian bass.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 20.12.2024
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Mud crabs are prized by recreational fishers for their impressive size and delicious taste.
Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 09.06.2022
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
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