Common Name: Tailor, Bluefish

Distribution: Common throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park. The species is widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate waters of most oceans. Tailor are found from Fraser Island in southern Queensland, south around the coast to Point Quobba in Western Australia (including Tasmania) with lower numbers generally found around southern Australia.

Ecological Notes: Seasonally abundant, often found in large schools in estuaries and inshore waters. Small tailor are often called “choppers”. It is a schooling fish that preys on smaller fishes such as pilchards, mullet and herring.

Additional Notes: Body moderately elongate covered with small ctenoid scales, upper body has a green to bluish tinge, lower body silvery. A large jaw extends back level with the eye, the large mouth has sharp teeth. The low dorsal (divided) and anal fins commence two-thirds back along the body. It has a large forked caudal fin and small pectoral and ventral fins. The iris is yellow. Grows to 16 kg and 1.2 m in length.

References: Australian Museum website at https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/tailor-pomatomus-saltatrix/. Accessed 28/12/21.

Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.167.

NSW Department of Primary Industries website at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/fish-species/species-list/tailor. Accessed 28/12/21.