PORT PHILLIP BAY


Mulloway 

Argyrosomus japonicus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: X; I, 25-30
Anal fin spines/rays: II, 7
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 15-17
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 46-52

Interpreting fin count meristics.
Spines are in Roman numerals and soft rays are in Arabic numerals. Spines and rays that are continuous in one fin are separated by a comma. Fin sections are separated by semicolons.

Detailed descriptions of fin count and other meristics are in:
Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) (2008) Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Order level detail.
A large and highly diverse group of modern bony fishes many of which have a generalized perch like body form. Most have pelvic fins with one spine and 5 rays and the maxillary bone is excluded from the gape of the mouth. Interrelationships of the group are poorly understood and continue to be studied. They inhabit almost all aquatic habitats from high-altitude strams to the deep sea, although most are marine.

Family level detail.
A diverse group of medium to large carnivorous fishes with elongate bodies, with a long-based deeply-notched dorsal fin, a short-based anal fin usually with 1-2 week spines and a rounded tail. Their have specialized swim bladders and large otoliths are used for to produce and detect sounds.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Sciaenidae
Genus:
Argyrosomus
Species:
japonicus

General Description

Body slender, rounded above, straighter below, dorsal-fin long-base, deeply-notched, tail rounded, pointed in juveniles; mouth large, with a slightly protruding lower jaw. Grey above, silvery below, with a black blotch above pectoral fin base. To 2 m.

Biology

The Mulloway is a migratory species and follows schooling fishes on which it feeds. It is also a popular recreational fish along the southern coast. It sometimes swims into the upper parts of Victoria's Port Phillip Bay.

Habitat

Coastal waters, off ocean beaches, often moving into bays and estuaries to feed, in depths of 0-150 m.

Open water

Distribution guide

Parts of Africa, India, Pakistan and Asia. Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Mulloways

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

2 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

Yes

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Bray, D.J.

Di Bray is a Senior Collection Manager of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Gomon, M.F.

Dr. Martin Gomon is a Senior Curator of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F., 2011, Mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 27 Jun 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6355

Text: creative commons cc by licence