Yellowtail grunter

Dom Heald

Yellowtail grunter

Also called yellowtail trumpeter. A medium sized, perch-like fish which grows to about 200 mm, but some individuals may reach a maximum length of 300 mm. Silver-gold coloured, with golden brown spots and paler colouring below (often yellow). A key distinguishing feature from other similar fish (as it is easily mistaken for the widely distributed spangled perch, Leiopotherapon unicolor) is … Read More

Green swordtail

Dom Heald

Green swordtail

An introduced fish and a pest species in Australia. They are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females are physically different in appearance. Males have a distinctive long, sword-like, extension of the lower caudal fin that females do not possess, while adult females tend to be bigger bodied than males. The average size of adults is around 80 mm total length … Read More

Empire gudgeon

Dom Heald

A small, native fish which grows to a maximum total length of 120 mm (nose to tip of tail). Brown to beige body colour, often with dark scale margins that forms a network pattern on the sides of the fish. Breeding males have red to orange dorsal and anal fins, that have a black band on the sub margin, and … Read More

Trout minnow

Tim Storer

Trout minnow Galaxias truttaceus

A large, deep-bodied galaxiid with a distinctive trout-like appearance and unmistakable pattern of dark spots (bars in juveniles) on the sides. A short diagonal stripe exists below the eye. Colour is olive to tan brown overall; fins are reddish-orange, usually with dark edges. The largest galaxiid in the state reaching a maximum size of 200 mm, but more commonly 120-140 … Read More

Freshwater cobbler

Tim Storer

Freshwater cobbler Tandanus bostocki

The largest native freshwater fish in the south-west, with larger individual up to 50 cm though more commonly around 30-40 cm. A few individuals have been collected from large water supply dams that were in excess of 80 cm, however this is extremely unusual. Being the only native cobbler (or catfish) species in the freshwater systems of the region (other … Read More

Sea mullet

Tim Storer

They are known to grow up to almost 80 cm and 5 kg, however in freshwater systems they are mostly found below 50 cm.

Spangled perch

Tim Storer

Spangled perch - Leiopotherapon unicolor

The species, which is native to rivers in Western Australia north of the Murchison River,  attains a length of up to 25 cm, though typically less than 15 cm in the Canning River where it was recently introduced to. It has a slender body covered with light grey-brown speckles, and a small-moderate sized eye. It has a spiny dorsal fin … Read More

Redfin perch

Tim Storer

Redfin perch - Perca fluviatilis

Redfin, or European, Perch are a medium-sized freshwater fish native to northern Europe. They will grow in excess of 60 cm and 10 kg, however in southwest waters are more typically seen at less than 40 cm and 1-2 kg. Due to extremely successful breeding, they are known to overpopulate areas. They are a deep-bodied fish, with a slightly forked … Read More

Eastern gambusia

Tim Storer

Eastern gambusia - Gambusia holbrooki

The eastern gambusia is the most widespread exotic freshwater fish in Australia and one of the most widely introduced freshwater fish in the world. Female gambusia are generally found up to 60 mm and males 35 mm. Mature females have a characteristic large black blotch just above the vent (see image).

Western hardyhead

Tim Storer

Western hardyhead

Slender and elongated body, silver to semi-transparent in colour; eyes large in relation to head size and bluish in colour – becoming orange during breeding. Thin silver lateral stripe also becomes a vibrant orange-copper colour during breeding.