O/T Bass question

[LakeConjolaFish]

Hi,

Its off topic but interesting.

In the eastern states many estuaries and rivers and even creeks running into the ocean hold resident populations of Australian Bass. How did they get there? At some time in evolution were they sea going? or did they originate in one estuary and were pushed out to sea in big floods and migrated to other bodies of freshwater?

I know that stocking takes place now (40,000 fingerlings in Lake Conjola creek in November) but it just interests me as to how they managed to get to so many waterways.

Cheers

I have no idea!
Do you fish for them much?


DAve

[LakeConjolaFish]

Not really at Conjola but I will try again, I like the upper reaches of the Clyde river at Batemans Bay.
Estuary Perch are a great fish to hook up on aswell

[kevinnugent59]

Originally posted by LakeConjolaFish
I know that stocking takes place now (40,000 fingerlings in Lake Conjola creek in November) but it just interests me as to how they managed to get to so many waterways.

I've heard that some escape from the dams, weir's etc when they release water, LCF. I know most of the freshwater dams and lakes here are stocked with Australian Bass, Golden Perch (Yella's?) and some have Saratoga. All have Eel-tail Catfish and
bony bream.

The Aussie Bass is a great fish to catch. Generally larger than bream, they don't put up as much as a frantic fight but they hit the lures like a steam train. I love 'em. And because they are an impoundment fish, I don't feel bad about taking a couple for dinner.

Regards
Kevin

p.s. I put the reference to bony bream in there to keep on topic!

[Matt Ireland]

Australian Bass always migrate to brackish water to spawn (They cant breed in straight freshwater). Apparently this is because their eggs sink in freshwater wheras in saltwater which has a higher specific gravity they float ( that may be the other way around).

If the eggs and larvae can survive in full strength saltwater than they could disperse to other waterways this way. Another option is that most Australian freshwater fish began as marine fish and have evolved to live in freshwater, so perhaps they all had a common saltwater ancestor which evolved to be the bass we know and love . However, in this case, you would expect that if theres no genetic exchange between the populations in different rivers then speciation would have occured (from an evolutionist point of view anyway).

Maybe its just cos thats the way God made it !!