Australia country information

Common names: Blue cod, Blue nose, Bluenose cod
Occurrence: endemic
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: occasional (usually not seen) | Ref:
Importance: of potential interest | Ref:
Aquaculture: commercial | Ref: Arthington, A.H. and F. McKenzie, 1997
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Ingram, B.A. and J.W. Douglas, 1995
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Stocked in Lake Sambell, Victoria; Seven Creeks and Glenbawn Dam, New South Wales (Ref. 6071). Known from southern Murray-Darling river, Yarrowanga Weir and Barmah state forest in northern Victoria (Ref. 44894). Once common and widespread but now endangered due to environmental changes and harvesting (Ref. 2906). Fishing, keeping and trading are controlled by legislation in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria. Captive breeding programs have been carried out at government fish hatcheries in New South Wales and Victoria to produce and release juveniles into selected sites within the species former range to re-establish breeding stocks. A two year project funded by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency formulated a national research and recovery plan. Some of the recommendations proposed by this project are presently implemented which include investigations of movement, habitat requirements, spawning behaviour and natural recruitment (Ref. 26161). There is no commercial fishery for the species as it has been quite rare for years to support commercial fishing, both commercial and recreational fishing for the species has long been banned. Wild populations in Lake Sambell were lost in an unexplained fish kill in the 70's. Similarly, the last wild population in the Murrumbidgee petered out during the 70's. The Cataract Dam population has hybridised extensively with the Murray Cod also present there and is more or less useless. Restocking programs with hatchery bred fingerlings have been more or less a total failure, with only one instance of stocked fish having bred. There is conjecture that stocking with much larger fish rather than fingerlings may be the approach. Impacts of introduced trout (S.trutta, O.mykiss) on M.macquariensis may have never been acknowledged and probably play a role in the failure of these stockings (Simon Kaminskas, pers. comm. 31/01/02). Adversely affected by Perca fluviatilis, Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio (Ref. 48787). Also Ref. 7300.
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: Allen, G.R., S.H. Midgley and M. Allen, 2002
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Jätteflodabborre, 突吻麦鳕鲈, Murray Cod, ... more

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

Teleostei (teleosts) > Centrarchiformes (Basses) > Percichthyidae (Temperate perches)
Etymology: More on author: Cuvier.

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

Freshwater; demersal; non-migratory. Temperate; 18°C - 28°C (Ref. 2060); 32°S - 36°S

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

Oceania: Murray-Darling basin, New South Wales, Australia - Mitta Mitta River, upper Murray River (Tintaldra, Mulwala area-Ref. 2906), MurrumbidgeeRiver, Cataract Dam (NepeanRiver), also in the Macquarie River (Ref. 2906). Stocked population in Seven Creeks River and Glenbawm Dam (HunterRiver) (Ref. 2906); also in Lake Sambell (Ref. 6071).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 85.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44894); common length : 50.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5259); max. published weight: 16.0 kg (Ref. 26161)

Occur from riffle and boulder areas in relatively small upland streams to larger deeper rivers with sand and clay substrates and submerged timber and snags (Ref. 26161, 44894). Found in still and fast-flowing waters (14°-28°C), usually over bedrock, boulder and gravel bottoms of streams. Large fish confined to deep holes between falls and rapids, while small ones are found among boulders. Feed on insects, crayfish, shrimp, and small fishes; cannibalism occurs. Spawn in spring and early summer. The large, adhesive eggs are laid on hard surfaces. Hatching occurs in 5-10 days at 20°C. Sexual maturity is attained at 3-5 years of age (Ref. 44894). Territorial juveniles. Infected by parasitic protozoan Chilodonella cyprini; susceptible to `ich' & Saprolegnia infections. Protected by law and its capture is strictly prohibited. Known to hybridize with closely related Murray (Ref. 44894).

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

The demersal and adhesive eggs (2.5-3.6 mm in diameter) are laid onto a hard surface. Hatching starts 5 days after fertilization and continues for up to 10 days at around 20°C.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Arratia, Gloria | Collaborators

Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley, 1989. Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p. (Ref. 7300)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Vulnerable (VU) (B2ab(iii,iv)); Date assessed: 14 February 2019

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless (Ref. 2906)

Human uses

Fisheries: of potential interest; aquaculture: experimental; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00408 - 0.02815), b=3.01 (2.79 - 3.23), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.0 ±0.60 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High vulnerability (62 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Maccullochella macquariensis (Cuvier, 1829)