Australian herring
A silver coastal fish from southern Australia.
The Australian herring is a schooling fish found in temperate waters along the southern coast of Australia. It supports recreational angling and commercial fisheries in Western Australia. The species migrates west to spawn and is valued for its soft, oily flesh.
- Maximum recorded length is 41 centimetres.
- Spawning migration moves west to southwestern coast.
- Females may lay up to 200,000 eggs per season.
- Trap net fishing was banned in Western Australia in 2015.
- Juveniles have dark golden bars on their flanks.
What it is
This fish has a streamlined, slightly elongated body that is compressed sideways. It features a small head with large eyes and a mouth angled obliquely. The scales are small and finely textured, covering most of the body except the snout and lower jaw. Its colour is silver with gold spots on the upper body and black tips on the tail. Juveniles display dark golden bars on their flanks. The dorsal fin has a notch separating spiny and soft rays, while the tail fin is deeply forked.
Where it lives
The species lives in temperate seas along the southern edge of Australia. Its distribution extends from the Swan River in Western Australia, across the south coast, and up the east coast to Forster in New South Wales. Populations also inhabit waters around Tasmania. These fish stay near the surface in coastal bays, over reefs, and within estuaries. They frequent sea-grass meadows and beach areas, rarely diving deeper than a few metres.
How it lives
Australian herring form large schools and act as predators. They feed on smaller fish and invertebrates hidden among weed beds and grass. Young fish drift with currents, particularly the Leeuwin Current, before settling in nursery sites during winter and spring. Geographe Bay serves as a key recruitment area for the western population. Adults disperse along the coast after spawning, moving into estuaries and reaching as far north as Shark Bay.
Breeding and life cycle
Fish reach sexual maturity at two to three years of age. Mature individuals migrate west along the coast to spawn off the southwestern shore alongside resident adults. Spawning occurs between April and June. Fertility correlates with size, with larger females producing up to 200,000 eggs per season. Eggs and larvae are planktonic, drifting south and east on prevailing winds and currents before juveniles settle in coastal nurseries.
Fish and people
Anglers across Australia value this species for recreational fishing. In Western Australia, it holds commercial importance and is caught using lines, gill nets, and seine nets. The use of trap nets was banned in 2015 following scientific advice on stock health. The flesh is soft and slightly oily, regarded as high quality for consumption. It is known by many local names, including tommy ruff and South Australian roughy.
Questions people ask about Australian herring
Is the Australian herring a true herring?
No, it is not biologically related to the herring family Clupeidae. It belongs to the genus Arripis and is one of four Australasian species in this group, often called ruff or tommy ruff locally.
Where does the Australian herring spawn?
Mature fish migrate west along the Australian coast to spawn off the southwestern shore. This event takes place between April and June, where they join adult residents in the area to release eggs.
What is the maximum size of this fish?
The maximum recorded fork length is 41 centimetres. However, most individuals caught are commonly between 25 and 30 centimetres long, making them a moderate-sized coastal species.
Good reading and sources
- Australian herring on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Australian herring", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.
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