Fishing is long engrained as an enjoyable lifestyle by many Australians.

Like anything enjoyable there are rules and regulations which need to be adhered to. In this post you will find a handful of common fish found in Queensland waters along with their description and size limitations, as per the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Spanish Mackerel

The Spanish mackerel is found in coastal waters to depths of 15m to 200m along the length of the Queensland coast. Commonly the Spanish mackerel can be 50cm to 80cm in length but can be as large as 120cm at a maximum weight of approximately 30kg.

The size limit for the Spanish mackerel is 75cm with a bag limit of three. It is important to note that one pectoral fin must be removed to mark that the fish has been caught recreationally before putting into storage.

Also known as the narrow-barred mackerel, the Spanish mackerel is often misidentified as the broad-barred mackerel.  The Spanish mackerel has numerous thin, wavy vertical bands on its body which is an iridescent blue-grey back and silver sides with bluish reflections. Juveniles of the Spanish mackerel are often spotted on their body.

Sand Whiting

Often called summer whiting and blue-nose whiting the sand whiting is found along coastal beaches, sandbars and surf zones, bays, estuaries and coastal lakes south from and including Cape York. A common length of the sand whiting is around 25cm with the minimum length requirement at 23cm. You can bag 30 whiting but this includes golden-lined, sand and northern whiting.

The sand whiting adult fish are a uniform silver colour with a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin, which differentiates it from the golden-lined whiting. The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are pale yellowish in colour whilst the dorsal fin is pale olive-green. The snout of the sand whiting has a dull blue-grey tinge on very large specimens. The distinguishing feature that separates the sand whiting from the trumpeter whiting is that the anal fin has 15-17 soft rays.

Tailor

Also known as chopper tailor and greenback tailor this species of fish has a greenish-blue back with silvery belly and sides. The dorsal fins and anal fin are pale green tinged with yellow. The pectoral fins are bluish at the base whilst the caudal fin is a dull greenish tinge with yellow. Tailor have prominent, sharp teeth compressed in a single series.

Often found along the coastline in bays and estuaries all along the Queensland coast the tailor is commonly around 40cm in length up to approximately 110cm with the minimum size requirement set at 35cm and a bag limit of 20.

Mangrove Jack

Often misidentified with the golden snapper, the mangrove jack has a greenish-brown to reddish back and sides with a long snout with long canine teeth in its mouth. The belly is slightly red to bronze with white edges on the scales. Eight whitish bars are along the sides of the younger juvenile fish, along with one or two blue lines on their cheeks.

Found in deeper reef areas to depths of 100m, the mangrove jack, as its name hints, can also be found in mangrove estuaries and lower reaches of freshwater streams throughout Queensland. Its size can reach 120cm in length but the minimum size requirement is 35cm with a bag limit of five.

Snapper

Snappers have a red-brown head and upper body, with silver sides and belly. Numerous bright blue spots are located on the upper side, which are especially prominent in the juvenile fish. All fins are red or faint red with the caudal fin having a white lower margin. Snappers are bottom living fish found at depths ranging from 10m-150m south from the Capricorn-Bunker reef groups. The DPI has announced changes to the snapper bag limits.  The bag limit will be reduced from five to four, with the allowance of one fish over 70cm. The minimum size of this species remains at 35cm as per the old requirements.

When you do find yourself heading out to Queensland’s beautiful waters please take note and abide all the laws of boating and fishing. Most of all enjoy our wonderful waterways and happy fishing.

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All data from this post was taken from the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

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