Australia country information

Common names: Blind tassel-fish, Blue salmon, Blue threadfin
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: abundant (always seen in some numbers) | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Importance: commercial | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Aquaculture: never/rarely | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Present from the Ashburton River (Ref. 11885) in Western Australia to at least the Mary River and nearby Great Sandy Strait, or further south, in Queensland. Also Ref. 57343. Stock structure: Probably distinct genetic stocks occur along the Gulf of Carpentaria and east coast of Queensland (Williams 1997). Commercial fishery: Threadfin salmon are fished in the north of Western Australia, in the Northern Territory and in Queensland. In Western Australia they are fished all year from about 19°S northwards. In the Northern Territory, threadfin salmon comprise approximately 30% of the total landings of the barramundi fishery. Blue threadfin are taken in the mixed fish coastal gillnet fishery. Blue threadfin form part of a multi-species fishery (which includes barramundi, Lates calcarifer) on the Queensland east coast from about Lloyd Bay southwards and in the Gulf of Carpentaria; although the landings vary between regions. On the central Queensland coast blue threadfin dominate net fishery catches; and from the Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet fishery between 1980 and 1987, blue threadfin averaged 5% by weight of total landings. Threadfin salmon are important during the late dry season cooler months (about June to September), while barramundi tend to dominate the river catches at other times. On the east Queensland coast, blue threadfin are caught throughout the year, exhibiting greater catch rates during winter months (May to July) (Ref. 28736, 27247). In general, however, barramundi fishers target king threadfin, P. indicus, rather than blue threadfin because of their greater value. This targeting is facilitated by the mesh size permitted for gillnets. In other words, large mesh nets set for barramundi also gill king threadfin, but blue threadfin - being smaller - often pass through the nets. Threadfin salmon are caught mainly by coastal set gillnets, but also by fixed tidal traps, beach seines and ring nets, over sandbanks offshore or onshore, or in the mouths of rivers on tidal mud flats. In the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, blue threadfin enter the commercial fishery from about 40 cm FL when they are about 2 years of age. Typically, threadfin salmon are marketed as fillets, either fresh and chilled on ice or frozen. They are shipped interstate or consumed locally. On the east Queensland coast south of Port Douglas and near Darwin in the Northern Territory, blue threadfin are often wholesaled as gilled and gutted whole fish, but in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the fishery is for fillets only. In the Northern Territory, threadfin salmon is used largely in the 'fish-and chips' trade. Recreational fishery: Threadfin salmon are important sport fish. They are caught with rod-and-reel or handlines, from shore or boat. Live or very fresh baits of oily fish, prawns or crabs as well as lures are used. In Queensland, the fishery for blue threadfin is significant from about Port Douglas to Gladstone on the east coast, as well as in the Gulf of Carpentaria around the ports of Weipa and Karumba. Up to 1993, the recreational fishing record for a threadfin salmon was 13.6 kg from Queensland (Australian Anglers Association records). Resource status: Better market acceptance of blue threadfin has produced a marked increase in the quantities of blue threadfin landed in Queensland. Up to 1993, threadfin salmon appeared to be fully exploited on the east coast but catches were increasing in the Gulf of Carpentaria as better prices were being offered. Catches declining on east coast after 1994 (Williams 1997).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Barbure à quatre doigts, Barbudo de cuatro dedos, Four finger thread fin, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangaria/misc (Various families in series Carangaria) > Polynemidae (Threadfins)
Etymology: Eleutheronema: Greek, eleutheros = free + Greek, nema = filament (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Shaw.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 23 m (Ref. 6390). Tropical; 32°N - 26°S, 47°E - 154°E (Ref. 57343)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Persian/Arabian Gulf, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka (except the Red Sea and East Africa) to northern Australia and New Guinea. Replaced by Eleutheronema rhadinum (Jordan & Evermann, 1902), in East Asia (Japan, China, Viet Nam) (Ref. 41639).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 29 - ? cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3479); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3479); max. published weight: 145.0 kg (Ref. 4965)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 14 - 16; Vertebrae: 25. This species is distinguished with the following characters: second dorsal fin soft rays 14 (rarely 13 or 15) pectoral fin rays 16-18 (mode 17, rarely 15 or 19), pectoral filaments 4; pored lateral line scales 71-80 (mode 73); scale rows above lateral line 9-12, below 13-15 (14); vomer with deciduous tooth plates on both sides, except in juveniles (< ca. 7.0 cm SL); posterior part of maxilla deep, 3-4% of SL; short tooth plate extension onto lateral surface of lower jaw, 7-9% SL. Colour of upper sides of head and trunk with slight darkish silver tinge, becoming lighter in lower sides; anterior margins of first and second dorsal fins blackish, remaining parts translucent and slightly blackish, respectively; pectoral fin membranes vivid yellow in life, except in large specimens > ca 35 cm SL which is dusky yellow; pectoral filaments white; anterior margin of pelvic fin yellow and other parts white; base of caudal fin yellowish, other parts blackish (Ref. 41639, 57343).

Adults occur mainly over shallow muddy bottoms in coastal waters. Also enter rivers (Ref. 3479, 6390, 11230). Juveniles found in estuaries. During winter, adults ascend the rivers. They usually form loose schools, although larger fish are more often observed in pairs or singly (Ref. 6390). Feed on prawns and fish (largely members of Mugilidae, Engraulidae, and Sciaenidae) with occasional polychaetes. Frequency of crustaceans to fish in the diet varies seasonally. Larvae (7-30 mm TL) feed mainly on copepods and mysids but also take shrimps and prawn larvae (Ref. 57343). Juveniles (31-60 TL) feed on prawns shrimps and mysids (Ref. 57343). Protandrous hermaphrodites. Marketed fresh, frozen, and dried or salted.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

In Australia, fish are males at 24-47 cm FL, hermaphrodites at 25-46 cm FL and females at 28-72 cm FL. On the northeast Queensland coast, most blue threadfin are females by 45-50 cm FL. Hermaphroditic blue threadfin develop fom 1-2-year-old fish, and females first appear as 2-3-year-old individuals (Ref. 28736). Male fish probably commence sex reversal immediately after spawning (ie about April-May) and this condition may persist until after the next spawning period (Ref. 28736). The progression from hermaphrodites to females is complete by the following season. There is little information on the larvae, although nursery areas are known to be lower estuaries, tidal swamps and lagoons, and shallows along the foreshores (Williams 1997).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Motomura, H., Y. Iwatsuki, S. Kimura and T. Yoshino, 2002. Revision of the Indo-West Pacific polynemid fish genus Eleutheronema (Teleostei: Perciformes). Ichthyol. Res. 49(1):47-61. (Ref. 41639)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Not Evaluated

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial

FAO(Aquaculture: production; Fisheries: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 25.2 - 29.3, mean 28.6 (based on 2815 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00617 (0.00400 - 0.00951), b=3.06 (2.93 - 3.19), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.1 ±0.5 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec=680,000; assuming tm>=2).

Prior r = 0.56, 95% CL = 0.37 - 0.84, Based on 2 stock assessments.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Very high vulnerability (91 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): High.

Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw, 1804)

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Biology Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

CITES (Ref. 128078)

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Threat to humans

Human uses

More information

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Estimates based on models