Common Name: Yellowtail Scad

Distribution: Abundant throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Southwest Pacific region: Australian and New Zealand waters. In Australia recorded from North West Cape Western Australia through southern waters to Wide Bay Queensland, and including Tasmania and Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Adults frequent coastal waters, including harbours and estuaries mostly in waters shallower than 150 m. Adults generally found over offshore rocky reefs, commonly on the bottom or in midwater, occasionally at the surface. Depth 22 – 500 m, usually shallow to 150 m.

Additional Notes: Silvery elongate body, with yellow stripe along mid body and yellow tail. Black spot on operculum above pectoral fin base. Schooling species, often in very large numbers, commonly caught by line fisherman for bait, usually from piers and jettys or around offshore reefs. Grows to 50 cm, commonly around 30 cm.

References: Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.178.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=trachurus+novaezealandiae. Accessed 11/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Trachurus-novaezelandiae.html. Accessed 11/07/18.