Oral Presentation Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference 2025

A dive into the life history of an iconic deep-water grouper Hyporthodus ergastularius (125659)

Matthew N McMillan 1 , Naomi Brunjes 2 , Emily Purton 2 , John Stewart 3 , Matthew Campbell 1
  1. Animal Science, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  3. Fisheries and Forestry, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Mosman, NSW, Australia

Population growth on Australia’s east coast has led to rising pressure on accessible inshore fishing grounds. In response, commercial and recreational fishers have increasingly sought out fishing grounds in deeper waters exposed to less historical fishing effort. This shift has been facilitated by recent technological advances in fishing gear like electric reels and high-powered sounders that connect fishers with large deep-water species living between 200-500 m depth. One such species that has become iconic in deep-water fishing on Australia’s east coast is the Bar Cod or Banded Rock Cod (Hyporthodus ergastularius). This large-bodied grouper prefers the strong currents near the shelf break where the East Australia Current brings it a plentiful supply of food. However, increasing catch rates in recent years have led to a need for stock assessment of this species. To underpin stock assessment with robust inputs, we have undertaken an FRDC-funded project (FRDC 2022-152) investing the biology of deep-water finfish on Australia’s east coast, including Bar Cod. Here we present our findings on the interesting life history of this deep-water predator that will inform its management into the future.