Prototroctes maraena, Australian grayling : fisheries, gamefish

Prototroctes maraena Günther, 1864

Australian grayling
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Image of Prototroctes maraena (Australian grayling)
Prototroctes maraena
Juvenile Picture by McDowall, R.M.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Osmeriformes (Freshwater smelts) > Retropinnidae (New Zealand smelts) > Prototroctinae
Etymology: Prototroctes: Greek, pro = first, in front of + Greek, troktos, -e, -on = edible (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; amphidromous (Ref. 46888). Temperate; 10°C - 25°C (Ref. 2060); 34°S - 45°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Oceania: coastal drainages of southeastern Australia from the Grose River near Sydney southward and westward to the eastern part of South Australia, including Tasmania and King Island in Bass Strait.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 33.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5259); common length : 18.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5259); max. reported age: 6 years (Ref. 5259)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics


Body shape (shape guide): elongated.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults inhabit creeks and rivers, usually in cool, clear waters over gravel bottoms in sections alternating between pools and rapids. Usually found in clear, moderate to fast-flowing water in the upper reaches of rivers (sometimes to altitudes above 1000 meters). Often forming aggregations below barriers to upstream movement. Timid species that forms fast-moving shoals (Ref. 44894). Often form large schools especially prior to spawning. Feed on small crustaceans, insects and their larvae and algae. The intestinal tract is long, s specialization to assist in the breakdown of ingested plant material (Ref. 44894). Spawn: Feb.-May; 25,000-68,000 eggs which sink to bottom downstream of spawning site. Hatching: 10-20 days; larvae, 6-7 mm TL, swept downstream to estuaries and the sea, return to freshwater after 6 months.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McDowall, Robert M. | Collaborators

Allen, G.R., 1989. Freshwater fishes of Australia. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey. (Ref. 5259)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Vulnerable (VU) (B2b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iv)); Date assessed: 12 February 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
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Distribution
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Anatomy
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References

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Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |