Heading. Basin Fish.Heading. A-O of Native Fish.
 

Image. Golden Perch. Macquaria ambigua.
Link. About the Name.

  

Name. Golden Perch.
Scientific Name. Macquaria ambigua.
 

How Big?		  
Found Where?
How Many?   Lives Where?
Eats What?   Reproduces How?
Moves Where?   Eaten By People?
Main Threats?   Are We Helping?

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Heading. How Big Does it Grow?
.
Golden Perch grow to 35 cm in length and can weigh up to 5 kg. However, some large Golden Perch have been found up to 76 cm in length and weighing 23 kg. They may live for more than 26 years.

 Heading. Where is it Found?
Golden Perch are found almost everywhere in the Murray-Darling Basin, with the exception of the higher areas.
 
Image. Golden Perch Distribution Map.

 Heading. How Many Are There?
IN THE PAST
Golden Perch were found in large numbers throughout the whole Murray-Darling Basin.
TODAY
Since the 1950s, numbers of Golden Perch have decreased and they are no longer found in some of the upper parts of the Murray.

 Heading. What Habitats Does it Use?
.
Heading. Large-Scale Habitats.
Image. Habitat - Slopes and Tablelands. Image. Habitat - Lakes and Dams.
SLOPES AND TABLELANDS LAKES AND DAMS
Golden Perch are found in rivers and creeks that lead from the slopes and tablelands. They are also found in lakes and dams on the plains.
 
Heading. Small-Scale Habitats.
Image. Habitat - Slow Moving Waters. Image. Habitat - Deep Holes.
SLOW MOVING WATERS DEEP HOLES
Golden Perch prefer slow-moving water, deep holes and a good cover of aquatic plants.

 Heading. How Does it Mate and Reproduce?
MATING
Golden Perch do not mate in pairs, but they spawn in groups. Females can reproduce at 4 years old and males at 2 - 3 years.
SPAWNING
Spawning usually takes place 3 - 5 hours after sunset, near the surface of still and slow-moving backwaters. Spawning begins after floods, during spring and summer, when water temperatures are higher than 23°C.
EGGS
Female Golden Perch weighing 2-5 kg release over 500,000 eggs. Each egg is about 4 mm in diameter. Eggs are transparent, and not sticky, and they drift in the water before coming to rest.
JUVENILES
Larvae hatch out 40 hours after spawning. Young Golden Perch are 3-5 mm long when they hatch and they feed on large quantities of zooplankton. Larvae can quickly die if they cannot find enough food.

 Heading. What Does It Eat?
Golden Perch eat mainly crustaceans, insects and fish. In the winter they also eat Bony Bream, Carp and Gudgeon.
Image. Golden Perch What Does It Eat?

 Heading. Where Does it Move?
When the river rises, some adult Golden Perch move upstream and can travel more than 1,000 km to spawn, although many don't travel that far. The fish then gradually work their way back downstream. Young Golden Perch also move upstream in spring and summer as river levels begin to rise.
 Heading. Do People Eat Them?
Heading. Fisheries.
Heading. Commercial.
IN THE PAST
Golden Perch were very important to a large fishery that operated from the mid -1880s to the early 1990s.
TODAY
The commercial fishery has now closed.
Heading. Recreational.
IN THE PAST
Golden Perch were eaten by Aborigines and early European settlers.
TODAY
People enjoy catching Golden Perch, because they are very good to eat.
Heading. Fishing.
LEGAL SIZES
Sometimes there are limits on the size of Golden Perch that can be caught.

ACT: At least 30 cm in length
NSW: At least 30 cm in length
Qld.: At least 30 cm in length
SA: At least 33 cm in length
Vic.: No limits
CATCH LIMITS
Sometimes there are limits on the number of Golden Perch that can be caught.

ACT: A limit of 5 fish
NSW: A limit of 5 fish
Qld.: A limit of 10 fish
SA: A limit of 6 fish
Vic.: No limits
CLOSED SEASONS
Sometimes there are limits on the number of Golden Perch that can be caught.

ACT: Anytime
NSW: Anytime
Qld.: Anytime
SA: Anytime
Vic.: No netting from the last Sunday in August to the last Friday in November
BAIT
Golden Perch can be caught with lures and live bait of yabbies, earthworms or prawns.

 Heading. What Are the Main Threats to This Fish?
Image. Threats - Fish Movement.
FISH MOVEMENT
Building of dams, locks and weirs has made it difficult for Golden Perch to swim far upstream, so sometimes they are unable to spawn.
Image. Threats - Water Flow.
WATER FLOW
River regulation means that there are now less small and mid-sized floods, giving Golden Perch less chance to spawn.
Image. Threats - Fish Habitats.
FISH HABITATS
Removing snags from the river has left less places for Golden Perch to live.
Image. Threats - Water Quality.
WATER QUALITY
Cold water released from dams has damaged some habitats.

 Heading. How Are We Helping?
Golden Perch have been bred artificially for a long time and have been used to stock lakes and dams since the mid 1970s. Young fish are released when they about 32 mm long and 5 - 8 weeks old. Between 1998 and 1999 over 15,000,000 fish were stocked by New South Wales Fisheries into dams and lakes. Many fish were also produced by private hatcheries for stocking dams.
RECOVERY PLANS
There is no recovery plan in place for the Golden Perch, but improvements to the river environment will help the species to thrive (or survive) and breed. Building fishways and removing unnecessary weirs are particularly helpful.

Page Last Updated: 10 Aug 2006 17:16