Murray cod Maccullochella peelii
Recreational species Lindsay & Mullaroo MCMA
Key health indicators
| Survey year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Recent recruitment | NO | SOME | YES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple size classes | NO | YES | YES |
| Mature fish present | NO | SOME | SOME |
Monitoring Results
| Monitoring year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish per 1km of waterway | 0.15 | 3.46 | 13.80 |
| Largest fish by length (cm) | 43.5 | 111 | 107 |
| Largest fish by weight (g) | 1008 | 22000 | 22000 |
| % of the catch that is legal size | N/A * | 9 | 1 |
* There are insufficient data to calculate % legal catch size.
Insufficient 2017 length data for frequency chart
Interpretation
Key Result: Abundance of Murray cod in the Lindsay River and Mullaroo Creek declined dramatically following the 2016 blackwater event either through emigration or mortality (Tonkin et al. 2017). One sub-adult Murray cod was caught in autumn 2017, approximately four months after the blackwater event. However, 35 Murray cod (predominantly juveniles, but including adult fish) and 156 Murray cod (predominantly juveniles and sub-adults but including adult fish) were caught in 2018 and 2019, respectively, an indication that the population is recovering.
Stocking: No recent stocking has occurred in the area surveyed.