1
NEWS
Mangrove jack caught in Eden
Commercial trawler scores another oddityThe mangrove jack pictured is the second unusual catch for the Eden trawler Imlay. Back in February, the same trawler reportedly caught a Queen snapper, aka blue morwong, that extended the known range of this species from southern Western Australia to Port Phillip Bay to further north.
This time they have caught what they believe to be a mangrove jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) while fishing from Eden on NSW's south coast near the border with Victoria. That’s a long way south for the popular tropical and sub-tropical sportsfish.
According to the Australian Museum, the mangrove jack occurs in tropical and some warm temperate marine waters of the Indo-West and Central Pacific. In Australia, the mangrove jack is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the Central Coast of NSW. You get a few in Sydney but that's about as far south as it goes… ‘till now.
Of course, jacks are a popular recreational species, aggressive lure takers, and they are usually found guarding mangroves in the estuary. The few jacks caught in and around Sydney are taken in estuaries, but there are also occasional offshore catches off Long Reef by snapper fishers.
This has been an interesting year for sub-tropical and tropical species pushing their usual southern boundaries. The warm East Australian Current extended well south and its influence is responsible for carrying warm-water to more southerly latitudes. Presumably this big jack hooked a lift all the way to Eden before it met its fate.
This story was sourced from the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association newsletter. Photo courtesy of SETFIA.
Tags
Share this article
Written byBoatsales Staff
See all articlesStay up to dateBecome a boatsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todayDisclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Contact
Advertise with us
International marketplaces
Consent
Download the boatsales app
