A tagging study on yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and samson fish (S. hippos) in South Australian waters

Abstract

Wild yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833) and Samson fish (S. hippos Günther, 1876) were tagged with nylon-headed, single-barbed dart tags between December 1, 2004 and December 31, 2006 in Spencer Gulf and offshore from the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Two-hundred and forty-one S. lalandi and 73 S. hippos were tagged. Twenty-four S. lalandi were recaptured and the maximum distance between capture points was 130 km and the maximum time at liberty was 442 days. Two S. hippos were recaptured, of which one was at liberty for a maximum of 378 days. Both S. hippos were recaptured at the original capture site. Recapture results indicate that large S. lalandi remain in, or return to, northern Spencer Gulf. This region may be important for aggregations of large, reproductively mature S. lalandi. One large S. lalandi tagged at Port Augusta was recaptured near Fitzgerald Bay, indicating that wild fish may move past S. lalandi sea-cage farms in this region. This course of movement may provide opportunities for disease and parasite interactions between wild and farmed fish. An additional outcome of this research was the residual impact that it has had on sustainable fishing practices in South Australia with increased recreational fisher participation in the tag and release of S. lalandi and S. hippos.