{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Speciesbox | image = Argyrosomus japonicus.JPG | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Fennessy, S. |date=2020 |title=''Argyrosomus japonicus'' |article-number=e.T49145403A49234015 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T49145403A49234015.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Argyrosomus japonicus | authority = [[Coenraad Jacob Temminck|Temminck]] & [[Hermann Schlegel|Schlegel]], 1844 | range_map = Kabeljou (Argyrosomus japonicus) IUCN range 2018.svg | range_map_caption = {{legend0|#385b55|&nbsp;native range, IUCN 2018 data}} }} '''''Argyrosomus japonicus''''' is a silvery to bronze-green colored [[saltwater fish]] of the family [[Sciaenidae]], which may grow up to {{cvt|2|m|0}} in length and weigh up to {{cvt|82|kg|lb}}.<ref name=FishBase/><ref name=foa/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2013-08-19 |title=Mulloway On Bait - Hooked Up Magazine |url=https://hookedupmagazine.com.au/how-to-catch/mulloway-jewfish/mulloway/#:~:text=The%20largest%20mulloway%20caught%20was,dreaming%20about%20these%20beautiful%20monsters. |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=hookedupmagazine.com.au |language=en-US}}</ref> It is known as '''Dusky Kob, dusky salmon, salmon, Kob''' and '''kabeljou'''' in [[South Africa]], '''Japanese meagre''' ([[FAO]]),<ref name=FishBase/> '''mulloway''' or '''jewfish''' in the [[eastern states of Australia]] and [[South Australia]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://pir.sa.gov.au/recreational_fishing/rules/species_limits/species_profile/mulloway | title=Mulloway | date=14 May 2022 }}</ref> '''kingfish''' or '''river kingfish''' in [[Western Australia]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/content/148 |title=What's in a Name? (Bray & Gomon, 2019) |publisher=Fishes of Australia |access-date=2019-11-02}}</ref> '''Ô-nibe''' (大鮸, オオニベ) in [[Japan]], and '''''Sawwa Krokar'' Fish''' or '''''Sawwa Machli''''' in [[Pakistan]]. The name jewfish refers to its large [[otolith]]s, which are prized as "jewels" by some fishermen.<ref name=foa>{{cite web| title=Mulloway, ''Argyrosomus japonicus'' (Temminck & Schlegel 1844) |website=Fishes of Australia |author=Bray, D.J. |year=2017 |url=https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/659 |publisher=Australian Museum |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>

==Description== [[File:Dusky Kobs (Argyrosomus japonicus) (52891466415).jpg|thumb|262x262px|A school of ''A. japonicus'']] ''Argyrosomus japonicus'' is a large, slender fish which can grow to {{convert|2|m|0|abbr=on}}. It has a copper-colored head and is silvery with a bronze-green dorsal surface and paler belly. It has a row of distinctive white spots running along the lateral line. The caudal fin is angular in juveniles but becomes more rounded in larger fish.<ref name=foa/>

==Distribution and habitat== ''Argyrosomus japonicus'' has an [[Indo-Pacific]] distribution occurring in coastal waters surrounding [[Australia]], [[Africa]], [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[China]] and [[Japan]]. Adults are gregarious and are found over soft bottoms mainly beyond the [[surf zone]], occasionally going inshore. Juveniles are exclusively found in [[shallow sea]]s and sometimes move into the [[brackish water]] of [[estuary|estuaries]].<ref name=FishBase/>

== Mulloway/jewfish in Australia == As explained above ''Argyrosomus japonicus'', are commonly known by different names across Australia, but most Australians refer to them as mulloway or jewfish. They are a prized catch when it comes to fishing and are notoriously difficult to target. They are even fondly referred to as 'silver ghost', 'elusive jewfish', 'river kingfish', 'jewie', 'soapy' and 'silver slab'. Mulloway have a wide distribution in Australia, from the Gascoyne region on the west coast of Western Australia, around the southern coasts of the continent, and up to the Wide Bay–Burnett region on the east coast of Queensland.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kailola |first1=P |last2=Williams |first2=MJ |last3=Stewart |first3=PC |last4=Reichelt |first4=RE |last5=McNee |first5=A |last6=Grieve |first6=C |title=Australian fisheries resources |journal=Bureau of Resource Sciences and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra |date=1993 }}</ref> In Australia, the largest specimen of ''Argyrosomus japonicus'' caught was {{Convert|42.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, around half the size of the South African record.<ref name=":0" />

According to the Department of Primary Issues for New South Wales: <blockquote>Mulloway have been classified as [[Overfishing|Overfished]] in NSW since 2004/05 and a Recovery Program (RP) to assist the stock to rebuild was implemented on the 1st November, 2013.</blockquote>

The above recovery plan introduced changes to the "bag limits" on fish for both Recreational and Commercial fishing.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

Later in 2018, NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair commented:<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-06|title=New rules to help Mulloway recovery|url=https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/releases/2018/new-rules-to-help-mulloway-recovery|access-date=2020-08-22|website=www.dpi.nsw.gov.au|language=en}}</ref> <blockquote>Despite efforts by fishers, a recent scientific review showed Mulloway are still overfished.'' ''In order for stocks to recover, the review recommended that more action needed to be taken.</blockquote>

Recreational bag limits were further reduced to just one fish over 70&nbsp;cm.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

===Stock status=== As of 2020, the stock status of mulloway in New South Wales is classified as 'depleted'. In South Australia and Western Australia, the stock status is 'sustainable'. In Queensland, the stock status is 'undefined'.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Earl |first1=Jason |last2=Fairclough |first2=David |last3=Fisher |first3=Emily |last4=Hughes |first4=Julian |last5=Roelofs |first5=Anthony |title=Mulloway 2020 |url=https://www.fish.gov.au/report/368-Mulloway-2020 |access-date=2 August 2021 |website=Fisheries Research and Development Corporation}}</ref>

=== Habitat === Mulloway or jewfish can be found from the brackish water up the top of estuaries down to the mouths, bays, rocks and beaches all the way out to offshore reefs. They can even be found near urban areas, such as under deep water marinas, boat moorings, bridges, and jetties, as well as under natural structure like shelving rocks and caves.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-24 |title=How to catch Sydney Harbour daytime Jewfish |url=https://www.fishaboutsydney.com.au/how-to-catch-sydney-harbour-daytime-jewfish/ |access-date=2020-08-22 |website=Fishabout Fishing Charters Sydney Harbour With Craig McGill |language=en-US}}</ref> They are accessible to the majority of Australian Recreational Anglers.

=== Diet === Although described as a [[benthic]] carnivore, Mulloway are capable of feeding throughout the water column. [[Mysida|Mysid shrimp]] are important food items for smaller juvenile fish (<{{convert|150|mm|in|abbr=on}}). As the fish increase in size the diet changes to include small finned fish, then larger finned fish and squid and other [[cephalopod]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Giates |first1=George C |last2=Ye |first2=Qifeng |date=September 2015 |title=Diet and trophic characteristics of mulloway (''Argyrosomus japonicus''), congolli (''Pseudophritis urvollii'') and Australian salmon (''Arripis truttaceus'') and ''A. trutta'') in the Coorong. |url=https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/CLLMM_126_Diet%20and%20Trophic%20Characteristics%20of%20Mulloway,%20Congolli%20and%20Australian%20Salmon_2015.pdf |journal=SARDI Research Report Series No. 858 |location=Adelaide, South Australia |publisher=South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences) |volume=SARDI Publication No P2015/000479-1 |pages=7–21 |access-date=19 July 2021}}</ref>

== Kob/kabeljou in Southern Africa == [[File:Salt Life Fishing Charters kob, crop.png|alt=A picture of a large dusky kob caught off Mossel Bay, South Africa, during an inshore fishing trip|thumb|A 13&nbsp;kg dusky kob[https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURGbmJmSEp3EAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x998b8b8653314542!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDFnbfHJw%7CCgwI65G0qgYQ2LnDkAE%7C?hl=en-US] caught off [[Mossel Bay]], South Africa]] ''Argyrosomus japonicus'', are commonly known as dusky kob or kabeljou in South Africa. They are found in the south-eastern seaboard of [[southern Africa]] where they occur from False Bay to southern Mozambique.

'''Habitat'''

Adults can reach {{convert|2|m|0|abbr=on}} in length and {{Convert|80|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in weight, and are predominantly found [[Littoral zone|near-shore]], from the [[Surf zone|surf-zone]] down to {{Convert|120|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The juveniles are highly dependent on [[Estuary|estuaries]] then move into the adjacent surf-zone as they grow. The adult populations from the [[Western Cape]] and [[Eastern Cape]] regions migrate to [[KwaZulu-Natal]] to spawn in the winter and spring seasons.

'''Recreational fishing'''

Dusky kob is one of the most important species targeted in the recreational, subsistence and commercial [[Fishing|line fisheries]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Justin |title=Sea Fishing Trips & Tips – All About Kob |url=https://saltlife.fishing/2023/07/28/deep-sea-fishing-trips-tips-2/ |website=Salt Life Fishing Charters|date=28 July 2023 }}</ref> Kob that are less than {{Convert|110|cm|ft|abbr=on}} total length are commonly targeted by estuarine and surf-zone anglers, while adults are caught mainly while recreational [[Angling|deep sea fishing]]. There are limitations on recreational catches in [[South Africa]], with a daily bag limit of 1 per person, per day if caught from the shore and 5 per person, per day if caught anywhere from a boat offshore. The minimum size limit is {{Convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} total length if caught from a boat offshore, however, only one kob greater than 110 cm total length may be caught per person, per day.

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=FishBase>{{FishBase |genus=Argyrosomus |species=japonicus |month=December |year=2020}}</ref> }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q184648}}

[[Category:Argyrosomus|japonicus]] [[Category:Fish of the Indian Ocean]] [[Category:Fish of the Pacific Ocean]] [[Category:Fish described in 1844]] [[Category:Taxa named by Hermann Schlegel]] [[Category:Taxa named by Coenraad Jacob Temminck]]