CORAL TROUT, BARCHEEK

B, C, T -

CORAL TROUT, BARCHEEK

Scientific Name: 
Plectropomus maculatus
Fish Group: 
Coral Trout
Salt/Fresh: 
Salt
Also Known As: 
Barcheek Coral Trout; Bar Cheek Coral Trout; Bar-cheek Coral Trout; Bar-cheeked Coral Trout; Bar-cheeked Trout; Coral Cod; Coral Trout; Coral-trout; Island Coral Trout; Leopard Cod; Leopard Fish; Leopard Trout; Spotted Coralgrouper; Spotted Coraltrout; Spotted Coral-trout
Description: 

Coral Trout is one of the most delicious tasting and beautiful reef fish of Australia

How To Identify: 

A red, pale greyish or olive to dark brown coral trout with small blue spots on the head, body and fins. Some spots on the head and anterior body are horizontally elongate forming dashes. Small juveniles are greyish-brown above with scattered black spots, a broad white midlateral stripe, and a dark stripe below from the snout to the lower part of the tail.For more info on see Fishes of Australia.

Other Coral Trout include:

Common Coral Trout;

Highfin Coral Trout;

Bluespotted Coral Trout (Footballer) and 

Passionfruit Coral Trout.

How To Catch: 

Mostly caught bait fishing and will take most fish baits, however one of the best baits in another small fillet of coral trout - but once you have caught one a real dilemma to cut up and use for bait! They love live baits as well. In recent years has been targeted with lures and they readily take nearly all types including soft plastics (they love 'em!), diving minnows, feather jigs and the most exciting of all - surface poppers, they strike hard and try and take you straight back to the coral bommie or cave they came from. They are a tough customer and awesome fun.

Where Found: 

Inshore Reefs and drop offs right to the edge of the Continental shelf, around the northern part of Australia

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