With so many reports of improved Murray cod fishing in the local Macquarie River, including Grant McConnell’s impressive 108cm model, this week Dubbo Catches puts the species under the spotlight with some interesting facts about the native species.
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According to the NSW DPI, the Murray cod is the largest freshwater fish in Australia, regularly growing to over a metre in length.
The largest ever recorded was 1.8 metres long and weighed about 113 kg, and was recorded back in the era when paddle steamers regularly freighted goods such as wool up and down our inland rivers.
Despite the name “cod”, they are not related to the cod species of the northern hemisphere.
Murray cod are the top predator in their habitat and will eat anything that they can fit in their very large mouths, including other large fish, yabbies and other freshwater crayfish, shrimp, freshwater mussels and even waterfowl, small mammals and tortoises.
At breeding time, females lay thousands of eggs.
The first time they breed, they may about 10,000 eggs, but older females can lay about 100,000 eggs.
Most of these eggs never become fully grown adults. Murray cod are very devoted parents.
The whole process of breeding and parental care goes on for close to a month.
Female cod caught in the weeks leading up to spawning can be caused to miscarry or reabsorb their eggs meaning they won’t spawn during the upcoming breeding season.
Murray cod are an important part of many Australian aboriginal mythologies.
Some of their myths describe a giant cod creating the Murray River by fleeing down a small stream, being chased by a hunter.
According to the stories, as the fish thrashed his tail, he created the bends in the great river.
Unfortunately, the iconic Murray cod is considered vulnerable to extinction.
In many areas they are under threat due to over fishing, barriers to water flow for irrigation, the removal of logs, snags and other underwater habitat for breeding and the introduction of fish species that bring disease and eat the Murray cod larvae.
Thankfully, many groups and organisations plan to restore these wonderful fish to greater numbers and save them from extinction.
In response to angler feedback and following further consultation between Victorian and New South Wales fisheries jurisdictions, Ministers' responsible for fisheries in each state, recently announced a commitment to align the minimum and maximum size limits for Murray cod. Other Murray cod regulations relating to bag limits and seasonal closures will vary between New South Wales and Victoria
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