Maccullochella peelii (Murray Cod)

Family: Percichthyidae (Temperate Perch)

Status: Native. Listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in Australia under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 199

SPRAT profile: https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66633

Size: Adult fish reach 80–100 cm in length and may grow to over 1 m. Largest on record was over 1.8 m and about 113 kg.

Description: A large grouper-like fish with a deep, elongated body that is round in cross section, an olive green back with darker mottling extending to the head. It also has a protruding lower jaw.

Location: Found in large and medium waterways across the Murray Darling basin and stocked into several impoundments. Strongly associated with structural habitat such as snags. The species has suffered a substantial decline in abundance since European invasion/settlement, particularly in the last 70 years.

Regional distribution

Maccullochella peelii is listed in the following regions: