Australian bass

Australian bass
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percichthyidae
Genus: Macquaria
Species:
M. novemaculeata
Binomial name
Macquaria novemaculeata
(Steindachner, 1866)
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Dules novemaculeatus Steindachner, 1866
  • Dules reinhardti Steindachner, 1867
  • Lates similis Castelnau, 1872
  • Percalates novemaculeata (Steindachner, 1866)

The Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) is a small- to medium-sized species of primarily freshwater (but estuarine spawning) fish found in coastal rivers and streams along the east coast of Australia. A member of the genus Macquaria (although some researchers place it in the genus Percalates instead) from the family Percichthyidae (temperate perches), the Australian bass is an important member of the native fish assemblages found in east coast river systems. It is a native predatory fish[3] and an extremely popular game fish species among anglers.[4][5] The species was simply called perch in most coastal rivers where it was caught until the 1960s, when the name "Australian bass" started to gain popularity.[4]

  1. ^ a b Butler, G.; Brooks, S. & Raadik, T. (2019). "Percalates novemaculeata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T83130397A129086006. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T83130397A129086006.en. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Macquaria novemaculeata". FishBase.
  3. ^ Harris JH (1985a). Diet of Australian bass, Macquaria novemaculeata (Perciformes: Percichthyidae) in the Sydney Basin. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36: 219–234.
  4. ^ a b Bethune J (1993). 'Bethune on Bass'. Simon & Schuster Australia, East Roseville, NSW, Australia. 93 pages.
  5. ^ Lewers D (1995). 'Fabulous bass and how to catch them'. Horwitz, St Leonards, NSW, Australia. 192 pages.