The name Barramundi is Aboriginal for "large-scaled silver fish". Virtually all Barramundi are born male, then turn into females when they are 3 - 4 years old. This means female Barramundi can only be courted by younger fish. Barramundi spawn on the full moon, and their iridescent skin can be seen shimmering through the water during their 'love dance'. In Australia, barramundi is both wild-caught and farmed for export to the global market as a table fish, and some recreational fishermen enjoy the pursuit of barramundi as well. Barramundi has been popularized for human consumption because it has been viewed as a sustainable fish, with strong stocks, a healthy habitat, and careful stewardship all contributing to the longevity of barramundi as a species.
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Barramundi
Fish / Lates calcarifer
Length Up to 6.5'
Conservation Status
Not Evaluated
Data Deficient
Least Concern
Near Theatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Extinct in the Wild
Range
Native to freshwater systems from Northern Australia and throughout the Indo-West Pacific
Habitat
Found in coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons, in clear to turbid water
Diet
The fish is carnivorous, eating small fish and insect
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