Barramundi

[olaf]

Does anyone have one of these?

[olaf]

Lates calcarifer
Barramundi
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Lacal_u1.jpg
picture (Lacal_u1.jpg) by Randall, J.E.
Family: Centropomidae (Snooks) , subfamily: Latinae
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 200 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 7050); max. published weight: 60.0 kg (Ref. 28138)
Environment: demersal; catadromous; freshwater; brackish; marine ; depth range 10 - 40 m
Climate: tropical; 15 - 28°C; 23°N - 26°S
Importance: fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.09-0.13; tm=1-5)
Distribution: Gazetteer Indo-West Pacific: from the eastern edge of the Persian Gulf along to China, Taiwan and southern Japan, southward to southern Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.
Diagnosis: Dorsal spines (total): 7-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-8. Body elongate; mouth large, slightly oblique, upper jaw extending behind the eye. Lower edge of preopercle serrated, with strong spine at its angle; opercle with a small spine and with a serrated flap above the origin of the lateral line. Caudal fin rounded.
Biology: Found in coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons, in clear to turbid water (Ref. 5259). A diadromous fish, inhabiting rivers before returning to the estuaries to spawn. Larvae and young juveniles live in brackish temporary swamps associated with estuaries, and older juveniles inhabit the upper reaches of rivers (Ref. 6390). Feed on fishes and crustaceans. Reaches 1500-3000 g in one year in ponds under optimum conditions (Ref. 11046). Sold fresh and frozen; consumed steamed, pan-fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9987). A very popular and sought-after fish of very considerable economic importance (Ref. 9799). Presently used for aquaculture in Thailand, Indonesia and Australia (Ref. 9799)
Dangerous: harmless

[olaf]

The LFS got three of these in yesterday. They are about 2" - 2.5" in length. They came in with three Coius quadrifasciatus. They called them Silver Dats. I told the LFS owner that the Coius quadrifasciatus common name is Silver Dat and that her supplier mis-named the fish. She said they also had some Red Dats that she could order. "Red Dats" = Red Mangrove Snappers.

Barramundi - $8
Coius quadrifasciatus - $10
Red Dats - $?

They all were in FW.

Does any one have any experience with this fish?

[olaf]

Any one?
I guess no body has ever had or seen these.

[Rhys]

nah i don't have them i eat them....we go fishing for them regularly. They get very, very big. When we go camping one of them can last us a week. Biggest one we caught was 1m in lenth.

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

ive kept barra in a pool once and i think that they should only be kept in something like that. they get very big and eats lots. my little one was 1" when i got him a month later he was 4" a month later 7" a month later well over the 12" mark. they grow extremly fast on guppy fry. but after that size they become to big even for a 6x2x2 tank. once in the pond they grow 2x faster till about 20" when thy slow down. by then they are eating cicadas,small birds,rats,mice etc they can be very expensive to look after so i dont susgest you get one unless you have a enourmous tank or pond(like mojos)