The estuary perch (Percalates colonorum)
Appearance
It is very similar to and very closely related to its sister species, the Australian bass, Percalates novemaculeata, differing in having a slightly more "scooped" forehead and reaching a larger length of . The species also differ in that Australian bass generally inhabit freshwater reaches during the non-spawning months, while estuary perch generally inhabit reaches subject to some tidal movement. Most individuals only reach around . The greatest recorded weight for a specimen of this species is , there is very little evidence for this, most people assume it was a typo i.e. it was 10 lb and not 10 kg.
Reproduction
Estuary perch breed in winter at the same time as Australian bass, and are similarly sexually dimorphic, with females larger than males. Females reach sexual maturity at older ages and larger sizes than males. In Victoria, estuary perch/Australian bass hybrids are regularly recorded; most hybrids appear to be reproductively viable.
Spawning occurs at the mouths of estuaries, rivers, and streams during winter and spring when water temperatures are .
Eggs are semi-buoyant, non-adhesive, and in diameter. They hatch into larvae after 2–3 days.
Fishing
Historical fishing accounts, primarily in newspapers, show the species was once known as "Gippsland Perch" and was a renowned and highly praised angling fish in Victoria in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was frequently targeted with flies and fly-fishing tackle. Such accounts and articles document a very wide range and immense abundance, and also demonstrate the species has undergone an immense historical decline in range and abundance. Nevertheless, the estuary perch remains a popular albeit somewhat specialist angling or game fish in its surviving range in the states of Victoria (particularly) and New South Wales.