Sighting: Barramundi(l. Calcarifer)

[Dave Legacy]

I was browesing one of my favorite LFSs the other day, "Strictly Fish" in Lakewood, CA USA, and came across what I'm almost 100% sure are juvenille Barramundi(Lates Calcarifer). From what I've read about them they get enormous, easily more than 150cm, and should be kept in water in brackish water 5% salt content and up.

Evidentally they're pretty good aquarium fish and similar to datnioides. These particular specimens are only about 1-1.5" in length and absolutely beautiful with a well defined front blaze. I think the LFS is selling them as "Freshwater Bass" but based upon the coloration, markings, and shape of fins, I'm almost positive these are barramundi... but I could easily be wrong.

If anyone in Southern California, USA is interested in trying out this interesting fish I suggest you go by and pick one up. I think they only had about 2-3.

- David

 

[nmonks]

Hi David,

A curious fish to sell in an aquarium shop. I cannot imagine any aquarist will have space for these in a home aquarium. Reminds me of a a thread a while back where someone bought a specimen of Lutjanus argentimaculatus, a fish that gets to about 5 feet in length. I wonder who keeps these fish? What kind of aquaria do they have?

Cheers,

Neale

PS. There are a bunch of Lates species, some of which are (relatively) small. I'd like to think those smaller species are the one sup for sale.

 

[Dragonscales]

They sell these over here in Oz (where they are native) and you'd be amazed how many people buy them without realising that they can grow well over 2 meters with time. Alot of people keep them outside in a dam and this is where they belong once they get bigger unless you are a millionaire with enough money for a swimming pool sized tank. Also, don't expect to keep any tankmates with it unless it is also a tank buster (murray cod are often kept as tankmates, although these also grow into monsters with time).

They are a beautiful fish though and are very interesting (they change sex from male to female as they get older) but should only be kept if proper outside accomodation is an option as they get older.

 

[Jox]

Did it look like this ?

 

[diburning]

Did it look like this ?

that looks like a cod... or a snook

I was browesing one of my favorite LFSs the other day, "Strictly Fish" in Lakewood, CA USA, and came across what I'm almost 100% sure are juvenille Barramundi(Lates Calcarifer). From what I've read about them they get enormous, easily more than 150cm, and should be kept in water in brackish water 5% salt content and up.

Evidentally they're pretty good aquarium fish and similar to datnioides. These particular specimens are only about 1-1.5" in length and absolutely beautiful with a well defined front blaze. I think the LFS is selling them as "Freshwater Bass" but based upon the coloration, markings, and shape of fins, I'm almost positive these are barramundi... but I could easily be wrong.

If anyone in Southern California, USA is interested in trying out this interesting fish I suggest you go by and pick one up. I think they only had about 2-3.

- David

umm thats a pic of a sea trout. Apparently asians like to eat them and they mostly come from australia lol

 

[Dave Legacy]

It looks exactly like the pic in the brackish Aqualog book. That how I recognized it in the first place.

 

[Dragonscales]

umm thats a pic of a sea trout. Apparently asians like to eat them and they mostly come from australia lol

Dunno what you guys call them over there but it's a barra. They are a good eating, sport fish from the far north which inhabit anything from freshwater lagoons and lakes to marine estuaries. I have seen a couple of protected specimens around 2-3 meters in the wild when I was in Darwin (they are somewhat of a tourist attraction), rather impressive fish.

 

[dylema]

Barra are also popular imported (from Taiwan) aquacultured fish for eating in Australia. They are no where near the 2m size of course more like 30cm when we get them to eat. Apparently they can be raised in very high fish to water volume ratio in aquaculture (up to 50kg of fish/1000lt water) but of course that would be with masive filtration etc. I would love to see a 2m long one though, imagine that on the BBQ .