Black Bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri

Plate 4. Australian Bream, Chrysophrys australis (actually Black Bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri) caught at Mordialloc Creek and Gippsland Lakes

The "Bream" of colonists is the chief sport of amateur fisherman, who catch great quantities by rod and line in the brackish water of the mouths of the rivers and creeks, and sea entrances to the Gippsland Lakes, which they enter during the summer months, spawning there about November and December. They go down to the sea again about the end of June, when the cold weather comes on, and may be caught in the sea, commonly about the ends of the piers, with rod and reel during the winter months. The bait is usually small fish, or small shrimp or worms. The fish is moderately good for the table, except at spawning time, when the flesh becomes flabby, and the colors dull. The weight rarely exceeds 6 lbs., and is usually much less. The largest specimen I have seen, now in the Museum is 17 ½ inches long, but differs in nothing from the above example in proportion, or numbers of fin-rays and scales. It is from the Mordialloc Creek. Young specimens, 4 ½ inches long, from Hobson's Bay, agree exactly in the number and disposition of the scales and fin-rays with the largest.

The species has not been figured before.