Morwong (Jackass)

Jackass morwong

Scientific name

Nemadactylus macropterus

Characteristics

Head & body are a greyish/silver colour. Some fish may have a yellow/red tinge on the upper body. Jackass Morwong possess a dark band across the top of their head, extending to the base of the pectoral fins. The seventh ray of the pectoral fin is greatly elongated and extends past the rest of the fin.

Size

Maximum weight of about 4.5 kg and up to 70 cm in length.

Distribution

Jackass Morwong are found in Australia's southern waters, from Sydney to Rottnest Island in Western Australia. On the East Coast some fish have been caught as far north as Moreton Bay, Queensland. They generally occur as individuals or large schools and inhabit deep coastal waters (25 m to a depth of more than 200 m) and occasionally enter large coastal bays.