Common names
Surf bream, Sea bream, Silver bream, Eastern black bream
Yellowfin bream
Acanthopagrus australis
- Saltwater
- Least concern
Max length26 in
Length typeTotal Length
Max weight8 lb 13 oz
Max age14 years
Water typeSaltwater
Fish info
IUCN Vulnerability status
Short description
Yellowfin bream have a silver to olive-green body with yellowish pectoral, ventral and anal fins. The colour can be variable: fish caught in freshwater may be bronze- or brown-coloured, while those caught in estuarine or marine habitats are more silvery. The yellowfin bream is a slower-growing species than the related black bream. Yellowfin bream have a deeper body and a higher snout than black bream and have yellow ventral fins. Black bream are usually darker and have dusky to brownish anal and pelvic fins. Tarwhine (another similar species) have rounded, convex heads and a gold spot on each scale giving the fish a series of longitudinal bands.
Habitat
The bream inhabit estuaries in salt or brackish water up to the fresh water limit, and inshore rocky reef habitats near ocean beaches and rocky headlands.
Distribution
Yellowfin bream are found along the east coast of Australia from around 19 S to 38 S—roughly from Townsville in northern Queensland to Mallacoota and the Gippsland Lakes region in eastern Victoria. A yellowfin bream specimen was first identified in New Zealand waters in Piwhane / Spirits Bay in 1990, likely introduced by ship dispersal of juvenile fish.
Behaviour
Carnivorous, yellowfin bream are demersal, preying on small fishes and invertebrates such as crabs, shellfish, polychaete worms and ascidians that dwell at the bottom of estuaries. They come downstream to river mouths during spawning season, typically in winter.
Edibility
Very good, they have a mild, sweet flavour, low oiliness and moist, soft-medium flesh. Each fish has a subtle unique flavour.
Lure suggestion
Popular bream lures include hard lures, different soft plastics, blades, vibes, small diving minnows, etc. Good bait: nippers (ghost shrimp), prawns, pilchards, small strip/fillet baits, crabs, bread, pippies, beach worms & blood worms.
Similar species
Other similar species
Tarwhine