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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pilly on November 18, 2010, 06:27:03 PM

Title: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Pilly on November 18, 2010, 06:27:03 PM
Hi, Just wondering if you can give me a positive I.D. on this fish?
I have been told it could be a Silver Perch and another person reckons it is a Leathery Grunter :-\

Cheers
Pilly
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: bushwacker on November 18, 2010, 06:48:50 PM
pretty sure its not a silver but could be wrong if its from darker waters ive only caught smaller ones

Steve
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: StevenM on November 18, 2010, 07:08:21 PM
My call is a silver
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: aussiebasser on November 18, 2010, 07:14:50 PM
Yeah, I'm calling it a Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus)
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: bushwacker on November 18, 2010, 08:08:22 PM
Heres a photo of a small silver perch a mate caught if its any help at all. I reckon after looking at this id say it is a silver
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Pilly on November 18, 2010, 08:59:54 PM
Thanks Guys,

It did come from a paperbark lined creek that had a tanin stain to the water.

Cheers
Adrian
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Sweetwater on November 18, 2010, 11:29:09 PM
G'Day Pilly,If its in the catchment where you live ie the greater Fitzroy, Leathery Grunter are native to that system where Silver Perch are not. However there's been alot of silver stocked throughout the system over the years.
It looks like a silver, too big/fat for most Leatheries I've seen.

Go up the lake near you & run a fish finder near the wall, you'll see absolutely tonnes of leathery grunter there. I guess the best way to know is in the cooking / eating. If you could it eat it, its a Silver, if it was like trying to eat a rubber boot, it was a leathery.

A super long shot it, it could be a Barcoo but none of those should have been stocked where I think you're fishing, but there's been some cowboy hatcheries over the years who would sell anyone anything for a buck.

Fitz..
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Bert on November 18, 2010, 11:30:01 PM
No doubt: Silver Perch.

Fat bastard!
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Nativeman on November 19, 2010, 07:42:41 AM
I couldn't tell ya what fish it is but I want to know what lure that is hanging out it's mouth  ;)

Cheers
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Pilly on November 19, 2010, 09:26:20 AM
Hi Sel,

It is one of my homemade lures mate. It is a new design I came up with and it caught me Toga, Silvers, Fork tailed Catties, and Sooties on the first trip it did. I am really happy with it, it has a really different action to other lures I have made. I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

Regards
Adrian
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: BrisBassMan on November 19, 2010, 11:22:07 AM
It is a reasonable size one whatever it is.  I thought Silvers tended to look a bit like a yella when they get a bit bigger.  Profile that is, small head running up to a big fat body.

I have seen some massive silvers in a place you would never expect them(Disabled Kids fishing clinics put on by the PRFMA).  They all seemed to have that funny shape.   

This pic sort of shows what I mean.... http://www.sunfishsouthmoreton.com.au/files/2kg-silver-perch.jpg

Cheers
Geoff
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: aussiebasser on November 19, 2010, 12:29:30 PM
Fat dam fish in the Botanic Gardens compared to a fit river fish.  They're a bit like Bass and Yella's that fat up in still water
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: 2Dogs on November 20, 2010, 03:24:24 PM
I recon its a leathery grunter. But its hard to pick the diff between barcoo, welsh's, silver, leathery and several other grunters. Can the grunters cross breed?
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Murray on November 21, 2010, 04:45:56 PM
Hello everyone, just newly joined the site, name's Mick.

I don't reckon pilly's fish is a silver, bushwacker's definately is.

The eyes are the wrong colour to be a silver.
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: aussiebasser on November 21, 2010, 08:53:29 PM
Just checked some old pics.  The silvers I've caught have the dorsel fin joined to the softer rear fin.  Pilly's seems to be separate.  I don't know enough about Grunters to make a call though.
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: bushwacker on November 21, 2010, 09:21:01 PM
Still suspecting a grunter of some sorts myself even tho i have never seen one in person, the colour doesnt seem a stained just natural ... still got me guessing .... :o
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: elops on November 21, 2010, 11:07:50 PM
It is Scortum hillii a Leathery Grunter. Spine and soft ray counts are inconclusive, the ID keys visible are the the two distinct preopercles the shape of the pectoral fin, second dorsal fin, eye position and colour.
The colour of the fish gives it another regional common name Greenhide Jack.
Can Grunter crossbreed ? yes they can, one of the reasons for the regulation prohibiting translocation of fish outside their natural range.
With Terapontids (grunters ) this can occur among members of the same Genus ie. Silver Perch Bidyanus bidyanus X Welchs Grunter Bidyanus welchi.
Barcoo Grunter Scortum barcoo X Leathery Grunter Scortum hillii.

cheers
Steve.
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Sweetwater on November 21, 2010, 11:18:10 PM
It is Scortum hillii a Leathery Grunter. Spine and soft ray counts are inconclusive, the ID keys visible are the the two distinct preopercles the shape of the pectoral fin, second dorsal fin, eye position and colour.
The colour of the fish gives it another regional common name Greenhide Jack.
Can Grunter crossbreed ? yes they can, one of the reasons for the regulation prohibiting translocation of fish outside their natural range.
With Terrapontids (grunters ) this can occur among members of the same Genus ie. Silver Perch Bidyanus bidyanus X Welchs Grunter Bidyanus welchi.
Barcoo Gruner Scortum barcoo X Leathery Grunter Scortum hillii.

cheers
Steve.

Elops to the rescue.  :thumbsup Thanks fella, was waiting for someone with some pedigree on these things to jump in & help answer the question.  :thanks

Cheers,

fitz..
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: elops on November 21, 2010, 11:26:21 PM
Had to use the references Fitz and had some expert help  :-[
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Pilly on November 22, 2010, 08:45:32 AM
Thanks for all the help in identifying this fish.  :youbeauty

Regards
Adrian
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: aussiebasser on November 22, 2010, 08:57:40 AM
A Scrotum Hilli, I guess that's where the "leathery" part comes from.  Now we know.
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Jim_Tait on November 25, 2010, 01:45:38 PM
What system was it caught in? Doesn't look like a silver to me, as stated eye colour and position is wrong and mouth seems to be terminal where silvers tend to be a bit more ventral - also appears to have lateral stripe below eye typical of Scortum spp - I'd call it for S. parviceps (small headed grunter) if near Burdekin basin or S. hilli  (Leathery Grunter) if near Fitzroy - regards Jim
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Jim_Tait on November 25, 2010, 01:47:21 PM
Opps! only looked at first page Elops already had it sorted!
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: RandallG on November 25, 2010, 02:44:33 PM
At least we know your right Jim :)

Randall.
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Sweetwater on November 25, 2010, 03:08:27 PM
A Scrotum Hilli, I guess that's where the "leathery" part comes from.  Now we know.

You idiot....   ;D  :D
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: Pilly on November 25, 2010, 06:48:07 PM
What system was it caught in? Doesn't look like a silver to me, as stated eye colour and position is wrong and mouth seems to be terminal where silvers tend to be a bit more ventral - also appears to have lateral stripe below eye typical of Scortum spp - I'd call it for S. parviceps (small headed grunter) if near Burdekin basin or S. hilli  (Leathery Grunter) if near Fitzroy - regards Jim

Thanks Jim,

It came out of the Fitzroy Basin.

Cheers
Adrian
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: mully on March 03, 2011, 11:00:10 PM
here is a big silver for comparison

Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: mully on March 03, 2011, 11:14:39 PM
my money is on silver perch the gill plates are same all fin config are same scales are same tail and eyes are same ,,,nice fish
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: elops on March 05, 2011, 01:08:01 AM
my money is on silver perch the gill plates are same all fin config are same scales are same tail and eyes are same ,,,nice fish

My money would be on S. hillii
Terapontid ID can be very difficult.
The pic is a good example, can anybody ID these two ?

cheers
Steve
 
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: poddy mullet on March 05, 2011, 02:59:22 PM
Heres a photo of a big silver caught in Windamere recently by angler, Chris Bird.
Kind Regdrs Matt Hansen
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: beau on March 05, 2011, 03:45:14 PM
Heres a photo of a big silver caught in Windamere recently by angler, Chris Bird.
Kind Regdrs Matt Hansen



Check out the caudal length on that top  bugger :-\
Title: Re: Is this a Silver Perch?
Post by: elops on March 06, 2011, 10:22:31 PM
My money would be on S. hillii
Terapontid ID can be very difficult.
The pic is a good example, can anybody ID these two ?

cheers
Steve

Top is a Silver Perch Bidyanus bidyanus
Bottom is a Welchs Grunter Bidyanus welchi
Would have thought they were both Silvers myself.