About Acanthopagrus australis (Günther, 1859)
The scientific name of this species is Acanthopagrus australis (Günther, 1859), commonly called yellowfin bream. Compared to the closely related black bream, yellowfin bream are a slower-growing species. They reach 23 cm (9 inches) in fork length after five years, and reach sexual maturity at 22 cm (8.7 inches) in length. Their body colour varies by the habitat they are caught from: individuals caught in freshwater are usually bronze or brown, while individuals caught in estuarine or marine habitats are usually more silvery. Two large recorded specimens have been reported: one caught in the Georges River in 1928 measured 56 cm (22 inches) long and weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces, and another from the Clarence River was even longer, at 58.5 cm (23 inches) long and 7 pounds 2 ounces. Yellowfin bream are native along the east coast of Australia, ranging from around latitude 19°S to 38°S, which covers roughly from Townsville in northern Queensland to Mallacoota and the Gippsland Lakes region in eastern Victoria. The first confirmed yellowfin bream specimen found in New Zealand waters was collected from Piwhane / Spirits Bay in 1990, and it was most likely introduced when ship traffic dispersed juvenile fish into the area. Given the heavy fishing activity in Northland and the absence of any additional found specimens after the initial 1990 record, it is unlikely that a permanent yellowfin bream population has become established in New Zealand. Yellowfin bream live in estuaries in salt or brackish water extending up to the boundary of fresh water, and also occupy inshore rocky reef habitats near ocean beaches and rocky headlands.
