Moses Perch?

[Luke]

I catch a lot of what I think are Moses Perch in the Hope Island up to Alberton region in the systems and being a chunky little fish they put up a good fight for the size compared to say bream of the same size but I don't think I've caught one over 22cm. What is the legal size of these guys,do they get any bigger in the systems or do they head out to sea. I'm pretty sure they would taste alright-they have that slimy feel but have never kept one. Are they in the same family as the Fingermark?
Cheers Luke

[webby]

Hi Luke, The Moses perch and Fingermark both belong to
the perch family , Moses range from tweed to W.A. while
Fingermark are mostly are Nthern tropical fish. Think i only
ever caught 1 moses that was legal in the logan, mainly all'
small stuff, but off Moreton have caught one that went 3.5kg
i think they live in the estuaries in juvenile stages then
head out to the deeper reefs, bloody good tasting fish.
have caught a lot up the coomera chasing jacks.
regards

[budge]

hi luke there are a few fish that go around by the name of moses perch.

If this is the fish your talkin about moses perch and fingermark bream are actually the same fish (Lutjanus russelli) i think the legal size is 35cm in Queensland and no bag limit. They are great fighting fish and great eating. They're caught on reefs and in estuaries all along the Qld coast.

[webby]

Hi budge, there are two distinctive types
the moses perch [lutjanus ruselli] and the fingermark
{lutjanus johnii} both are perches but different familys
in w.a they sometime call the moses fingermark
legal size moses 25cm fingermark 37cm

regards

[Muzzy]

Biggest fingermark (or golder snapper to darwin people) is 66cm taken of the bottom on a big dead bit of squid.

Biggest I have heard of and seen was a 9kg mutha with teeth like a dog.

Saw a jack head from a trp boat and all I can say is geeze that would pull!

They are big slow growing things so look after stocks with this type of fish.

But small fingermarks are like mice in darwin, any bit of rock in the water and ya catch small ones, have been known to take a big spanish mack on a finger mark as well prior to limits on size. Try a saddle tail snapper for spanish mackeral live bait.

Muz

[Luke]

Still a bit confused fellas, the photo is the fish I'm catching but is the legal size only 25 cm in WA. What about QLD? Probably doesn't matter to much cause like you said Webby catch an absolute bucket load chasing other stuff and I've still never got one bigger than 22cm. I let them all go for you fellas out bottom bouncing see
Cheers Luke

[wishey]

Hey Luke
How ya been ,,
Yes the Moses Perch has to reach a minium length of 25cm in our club they have to be 30cm.
copya

[Luke]

Good thanks Wishey,
no worries let them all go anyway as was never sure but thanks for the legal req. on them.
Cheers Luke

[krazyfisher]

The moses perch has a distintive back mark very black and bright yellow and is 25cm in qld the fingermark are more smudged in there marking the pic above is a fingermark, fingermark bream or golden snapper not a moses perch.
And does not matter what they are they are all fun to catch.

[Luke]

Your'e right Krazy,
the fish I catch are definately more distinctive in the black spot and the line markings and from memory may be a little longer and not as high in the body but can't be sure about that without picking one up again.

[shano]

Moses perch grow to about 53cm (2kg), but are more commonly caught at 28cm to 38cm. At maturity they are around 29cm in length. At legal size (25cm), moses perch weigh 211g on average. They vary in colour from pale pinkish-red to olive-green or silvery white. All fish have a prominent black spot or blotch above the lateral line and below the junction of the spiny and soft dorsal fins. Their pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are yellow and they may have yellowish lines marking the scale rows along the sides.