- Scientific Name
- Macquarie novemaculeata
- Other Names
- Australian perch, Freshwater perch, Eastern Freshwater Perch
- Size
- Up to 60cm
- Weight
- Up to 3.8kg
General Description
Bass can range from dark olive-green to greyish on their back and sides with darker scale margins and have a silvery or whitish belly. It has a protruding lower jaw, a straight to slight concave snout, moderately large eyes and their dorsal profile is evenly arched.
Behaviour
Bass is known for having an aggressive side and putting up a great fight, making it popular amongst anglers.
Where to Find
Australian bass is native to eastern Australia, however, there are more abundant populations in Queensland and New South Wales than Victoria. In Victoria, bass is found eastwards from Wilsons Promontory, with small populations in Gippsland. Bass spend most of their time in freshwater rivers and streams. However, each year between May and August, they migrate downstream to spawn in estuaries.
In recent years, Australian bass has been stocked into impoundments such as Lake Bullen Merri, Blue Rock Dam, Lake Narracan and Lake Glenmaggie. Anglers have had great success in catching above legal size bass in these waters.
Fishing Rules
View the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Australian Bass webpage for the current regulations including size and bag limits.
Other Information
Australian bass are commonly mistaken for estuary perch.
References
Bray, D.J. & Thompson, V.J. 2020, Percalates novemaculeata in Fishes of Australia
Australian Museum, Australian Bass, Macquaria novemaculeata (Steindachner, 1866)
Victorian Fisheries Authority, Australian Bass
