From time to time, a rumour of a Macquarie Perch being captured in the local river echoes through fishing circles, with talk of a “Macca” being unexpectedly encountered by a Murray Cod or Yellowbelly fisherman. To date, no one has been able to provide a photograph of a Macquarie Perch prove the species still exists in our stretch of the river, with a couple of suspected captures proving to be a Silver and Golden Perch , and a case of mistaken identity.
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Having all but disappeared from local our river due to cold water pollution from Burrendong Dam, barriers to fish passage such as weirs, siltation of their gravel spawning habitats and water quality issues, the Macquarie perch is primarily an uplands and slopes fish. The Macca, as they are affectionately known, has a breeding biology clearly adapted to flowing upland rivers and streams, and for this reason the species has proven difficult to breed artificially as captive females do not produce ripe eggs when kept in still brood ponds or tanks.
The early explorers of Australia took fascinating notes on our inland fish stocks when they first made their way across central NSW, with our native fish clearly providing a reliable food source for the first European settlers.
In 1828 Charles Sturt explored the lower Macquarie River and near Trangie recorded the capture of fish by the local indigenous people including ‘Seven fine bream’ . Although the ‘bream’ cannot be identified with certainty, they were thought to most probably be Silver perch.
The Macquarie perch was revealed by Rene Lesson, who captured and ate examples he caught from the Macquarie River at Bathurst in 1824. He named the species Macquaria australasia, returning one small specimen to France and publishing a colour illustration of the species. Macquarie perch are a medium-sized fish, commonly 30–40 cm and 1.0–1.5 kg. Maximum size is about 2.5 kg and 45 cm. Their body is elongated, deep, and laterally compressed.
The caudal fin, anal fin and soft dorsal fin are rounded, with the spiny dorsal fin a medium height and strong. The mouth and eyes are relatively small. Colouration can vary from tan to dark purplish-grey to black with the irises of the eyes distinctly silver.
If you happen to get a photo of a Macca before you release it, please provide a copy to Dubbo Catches as soon as you can, as the lucky fisher will certainly go down in history with the event certain to capture national attention.
Submit:
Send a fishing story or photo to: matt@reddenhansen.com.au.
