Unnaturally Occuring Fish. Sydney

[Blackfish]

Not wanting to hijack @James Clain 's thread on how far do Kings Go I thought I'd put this up.

This has nothing to do about Kings but unusual fish caught in Sydney that don't belong here, where some unusual fish do occur.

Mangrove Jacks, Blue Barred Parrot Fish, Spangled Emperor, Maori Cod to name a few are some that do occur in Sydney but are not to common.

But Barra and Coral Trout certainly not, this is a reason why they have appeared here.

But letting Fish or any Animal go in an area its not Indigenous to can not go well. Carp and Tapia are two that come to mind.

http://www.shabkar.org/donation/

Other reading

https://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/barramundi-caught-in-sydney-harbour

https://australianmuseum.net.au/blog-archive/science/barramundi-mystery-solved/

 

 

[James Clain]

1 hour ago, Blackfish said:

Not wanting to hijack @James Clain 's thread on how far do Kings Go I thought I'd put this up.

This has nothing to do about Kings but unusual fish caught in Sydney that don't belong here, where some unusual fish do occur.

Mangrove Jacks, Blue Barred Parrot Fish, Spangled Emperor, Maori Cod to name a few are some that do occur in Sydney but are not to common.

But Barra and Coral Trout certainly not, this is a reason why they have appeared here.

But letting Fish or any Animal go in an area its not Indigenous to can not go well. Carp and Tapia are two that come to mind.

http://www.shabkar.org/donation/

Other reading

https://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/barramundi-caught-in-sydney-harbour

https://australianmuseum.net.au/blog-archive/science/barramundi-mystery-solved/

 

 

to my surprise this website

 

https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/fishes/fishes-of-syd-harb/

 

Actually lists GT, Mangrove jack, blue barred parrot fish, maori cod. The website states that Sydney harbour is the most southerly place that GT can be found. I also believe that @Pickles caught a Maori cod.

[James Clain]

A bull shark was also found in New Zealand which is also very unusual since they aren't typically oceanic and are not indigenous to new Zealand.

I also think that al mcglashan caught a marlin in between the heads but im not sure if this is confirmed?

[wazatherfisherman]

1 hour ago, James Clain said:

A bull shark was also found in New Zealand which is also very unusual since they aren't typically oceanic and are not indigenous to new Zealand.

I also think that al mcglashan caught a marlin in between the heads but im not sure if this is confirmed?

Marlin have been caught  between the heads a few times

[61 crusher]

1 hour ago, James Clain said:

I also think that al mcglashan caught a marlin in between the heads but im not sure if this is confirmed?

Wouldn’t surprise me about 5 or 6 years ago in the middle of summer with my two daughters we were coming back in the afternoon near south head after hooking the last dolly less than 2km off shore I left the spread out for a Kingy or a bonito  & we came across a hammerhead & followed it south & as we turned 500 m from south head cliffs & less than a km from the harbour entrance was a black marlin riding the swell south unfortunately the boat being so close caused it to go under before I could get the lures in front of it. A bit earlier that year I was fishing a deep hole land based west of Gladesville bridge & had a bust up within casting range & hooked up to what I thought was a kingy but as I was about to lift it up I noticed it was rather skinny & had a blue & yellow lateral line like a rainbow runner & unfortunately the hook let go. In the mid 70’s one hot dry summer I came across some sea cucumbers around figtree bridge in the lane cove river, I think they are a tropical species 
 

[wazatherfisherman]

Hi Blackfish, fishing around Sydney over the years, I've caught or seen plenty of "northern species" caught by comrades.

Without a doubt, the location that has produced the most (that I've seen) is Queenscliff (Manly) lagoon. Plenty of theories around as to why the 'goon attracts the variety, such as warmer water (due to shallowness, small tidal flow and virtually no shaded areas) a variety of different environments (in close proximity to each other) and a good variety of natural foods, just to name a few. The theory is tiny fry or fertile eggs travelling the east Australian current to Sydney and ending up in coastal lagoons and estuaries. Once in the lagoon, the only way back out is via the same small viaduct adjacent to Queenscliff ocean rock baths that they came in on, the catch being that the entrance has narrow bars, so only smallish fish can move through.

 "Northern" species have included several Mangrove Jacks, GT's, Big Eye, Long Tom's (ok not northern only, however some large Toms over a metre) to name some. There are also "Rock Prawns"- the thick bodied variety with arms (resembling Scampi), large worms and a prawn population, along with plenty of small fry to feed the location's fish.

Spangled Emperor are also occasionally distributed throughout the harbour as I've personally caught about 15 and seen about double that many caught. Fishraider Derek caught one on a lure in Mosman Bay not that long ago and another Raider (sorry I can't remember your name!) caught a good sized one on a bait. During the AFCA Rock titles one of the juniors from our club got a 3.5 kg Spangled at the Mattens at Dover Heights.

These influxes of different species are probably seasonally variable, due to the current and water temp, my own thoughts are that there are probably plenty of tiny fish coming down each year and depending on where they end up, the conditions determine their survival rate.

 

[Blackfish]

Mangrove Jacks, Blue Barred Parrot Fish, Spangled Emperor, Maori Cod are just a few that I personally know.

There is a resident Population of Spangled Emperor in Sydney so they survive the winter OK.

I believe JonP's Daughter has photographed both Purple and Maori Rockcod down at Narooma, now thats a fair way down the coast.

Maybe with Global warming Barra and Coral Trout will not that uncommon.

[kingie chaser]

11 hours ago, Blackfish said:

But letting Fish or any Animal go in an area its not Indigenous to can not go well. Carp and Tapia are two that come to mind.

The fish your describing are native species, the fact that they may be around what you would call not usual habit just a part of evolution. Species move following food or warmer currents. 

https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:43e13442-afd0-443b-96fb-9a462eeea542

The day I can catch Coral trout in Sydney I will rejoice & probably go out & buy a bottle of Penfolds Grange to enjoy with if for dinner 😁

But your right in that if you do catch a species like carp then I believe its against the law to actually return it, & if its some unusual or foreign species then report it to the DPI or equivalent body.

Id be more worried about the crown of thorns star fish consuming the Great Barrier Reef or the cane toads reaching Sydney, also the effects on the country from introduced feral species like pigs, foxes. cats, dogs, goats, rabbits, deer. 

And I certainly wont be donating any money to some Tsethar Buddhist group, Id rather donate to our farmers or another needy Australian charity where it will actually have a good effect for us!

Edited November 7, 2019 by kingie chaser

[Scratchie]

Plenty of spangled emperor up here! 
Caught in July

Bring on the coral trout and sailfish I say 😂😂😂

cheers scratchie!!! 

[PaddyT]

Ive caught a very nice Spangled Emperor in the harbour off the ïsland " at Balmoral Beach trolling a minnow . Also an Amalco Jack (Highfin Amberjack) in middle harbour, small coral trout off the rocks at Avoca, a reaaly good Estuary Cod out of Cowan Creek ,plenty of marlin within 5 kms of  the heads-so sure you can catch tropicals (not that marlin are tropicals) around Sydney-i just wouldnt waste my time targetting them, they are incidentals.

[Blackfish]

I got a Very large Bluethroat Wrasse a couple of years ago at Bluefish Point, I believe that one could  have been a released fish but had survived a couple of years up here.

[DerekD]

9 hours ago, wazatherfisherman said:

Fishraider Derek caught one on a lure in Mosman Bay not that long ago and another Raider (sorry I can't remember your name!) caught a good sized one on a bait. During the AFCA Rock titles one of the juniors from our club got a 3.5 kg Spangled at the Mattens at Dover Heights.

Good memory Waza,

This was the one caught in Mosman bay. Left me doing a double take. Shame I didn't have a better camera with me but they are a beautiful fish.

Regards,

Derek

[Yowie]

4 hours ago, DerekD said:

Regards,

Derek

Caught a small one of those in Port Hacking a couple of years ago. Good eating.

Have also pulled out a Maori Cod many years ago, and a Spotted Mackerel, about 10 years ago,  up in Port Hacking near Lilli Pilli.

[savit]

6 hours ago, DerekD said:

Good memory Waza,

This was the one caught in Mosman bay. Left me doing a double take. Shame I didn't have a better camera with me but they are a beautiful fish.

Regards,

Derek

Caught it a few months ago in Mosman area as well. Thought kinda weird wrasse before throwing it back.

[Berleyguts]

11 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

The day I can catch Coral trout in Sydney I will rejoice & probably go out & buy a bottle of Penfolds Grange to enjoy with if for dinner 

Hmmm... red wine with fish... OK... what the heck! To hell with the “rules”! 😂 I love coral trout! If they migrate to my neck of the woods, I’ll be celebrating too! I caught a spangled emperor in Port Hacking the early 90s. Beautiful fish.

[Yowie]

27 minutes ago, Berleyguts said:

Hmmm... red wine with fish... OK... what the heck! To hell with the “rules”! 😂

I had a recipe (many years ago when I used to catch John Dory in Port Hacking - very scarce now) for John Dory fillets with squid pieces in red wine - now don't have the recipe, but it was very nice.

When I catch up with the boys in the city for a feed and a drink every now and then, we take along a bottle of red each and drink it with lunch, and I usually have a fish feed, as do a couple of the others. (after that, we usually talk a bit of shite - )

[Yowie]

Not an unusual fish for Sydney, but I saw a photo of a Yellowfin Tuna caught in South West Arm of Port Hacking more than 10 years ago - a 26 kg fish. Have heard of others up there, but with your 12 pound line, it would be all over in seconds.

Some years ago, a waterfront owner was looking out to the water of his property when a Yellowfin swam onto the rocks in Gymea Bay. It had some sort of injury, so he yelled out to his neighbour and both of them hauled it on shore. It weighed 71 pounds.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Yowie

[Berleyguts]

19 minutes ago, Yowie said:

Not an unusual fish for Sydney, but I saw a photo of a Yellowfin Tuna caught in South West Arm of Port Hacking more than 10 years ago - a 26 kg fish. Have heard of others up there, but with your 12 pound line, it would be all over in seconds.

Some years ago, a waterfront owner was looking out to the water of his property when a Yellowfin swam onto the rocks in Gymea Bay. It had some sort of injury, so he yelled out to his neighbour and both of them hauled it on shore. It weighed 71 pounds.

Yep. I had a ‘fin around my little 10ft punt that I rowed from Dolan’s Bay to SWA. It was taking pillies and live yakkas out of my hand (showering me at the same time) for about half an hour... but it wouldn’t take anything with a hook in it. If it did, I don’t know how I’d have gone as I only had 4kg Platypus Pretest on a Baitrunner! My “plan” was to let my anchor line go (tied to a milk bottle and I don’t remember why I had one!) and just put my feet up and get towed around the Port! 😂 This was back in the late 80s or very early 90s, in April (around the same time I caught a spangled emperor) and I called it for over 40lb at the time. When I reported it at my fishing club meeting, no one believed me until fellow member and fishing writer, John Ashley, backed me up with a report of getting them on 50lb game rods in the SWA. 😎 The guys that we’re getting them kept it pretty quiet.

[Blackfish]

When I was a young fella a mates family had a unit up at Little Beach, Port Stephens that was opposite the beach, he would invite me up in the school holidays.

We fished out of a 10ft Brooker with a 5hp Sea Gull on the back that we would wheel across the road to the beach. It was a bit different in those days.

We were fishing one day catching slimies just off the beach in the Tinny, (used to catch heaps) when a fellow fishing near us caught a Tuna. I believe he was fishing for them because he seemed to have the gear.

So the next day we went out prepared. 9 inch Alvey Snapper reel with a Jarvis Walker Boat rod, can't remember its name but it matched the Reel😁

Put on a Slimey, a float and waited. Very soon the reel started to spinning wildly, we nearly broke our Knuckles trying to stop the big Timber reel going backwards at warp speed.. Luckily the fish spat the hook so all we had was a good story to tell.

Through those holidays we saw more of those Tuna Jumping and this was not to far off the beach.

Later I learnt they were Northern Blues that would come right into Port Stephens.

 

 

 

[Scratchie]

6 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

Later I learnt they were Northern Blues that would come right into Port Stephens.

And they still do!!! 
This year saw the best season of Northern blue fin (longtail) tuna ever! 
Multiple hook ups on many trips and they even hung around until mid July 

[Blackfish]

Do they still come right in Scratchie.

Had mates who fished with Warringah Anglers back in the really early 80's and they caught some crackers off Tomaree.

One I remember that bitten nearly in half with what was left wasn't far off the record. Whole it would have gone over easily.

[Little_Flatty]

16 hours ago, Blackfish said:

Maybe with Global warming Barra and Coral Trout will not that uncommon.

So long as they don't come with...CROCODILES! 😜

Edited November 8, 2019 by Little_Flatty

[campr]

My most unusual out of place catch was quite a few years ago winning the estuary division of Narooma ANSA comp with a 2kg Cobia on 2kg line.  I often hear of the odd one in Port Hacking but very unusual getting a Cobe so far south.

[Scratchie]

11 hours ago, Blackfish said:

Do they still come right in Scratchie.

You bet they do! I’ve seen them working schools half way to Karuha. 

[Blackfish]

Geeez, that is a long way up.

Hope this will be a common acurance in the future for you up there.