Yellowtail Amberjack

Fascinating facts about the Yellowtail Amberjack

• Studies suggested the traps may have wiped out as much as 60% of the larger amberjack population in Sydney Harbour, showing how a single fishing method can reshape an entire population.
• When the Playford Power Stations pumped hot water into the upper Spencer Gulf, anglers noticed a surge in kingfish catches near Port Augusta, hinting that temperature tweaks can steer migration routes.
• A single yellowtail amberjack can grow to 180 cm (71 in) long and weigh up to 50 kg (110 lb) – about the size of a small adult human – demonstrating the species’ impressive growth potential in the wild.
• Juvenile amberjacks, only about 30 cm (12 in) long, hide among floating debris and weed, using camouflage that makes them virtually invisible to predators until they mature and change colour.
• In the late 2010s, farms near Geraldton and the Abrolhos Islands began raising kingfish in sea cages.

At a glance

About the Yellowtail Amberjack

The yellowtail amberjack (Seriola lalandi) is a sleek, powerful predator that can grow to 180 cm (71 in) and, in rare South Australian catches, tip the scales at 40–50 kg (88–110 lb). Juveniles, cloaked in yellow with stark black bands, linger among floating debris or weed, their camouflage fading as they reach about 30 cm (12 in) and assume the adult’s silvery-blue hue with a characteristic yellow tail. These fish favor temperate to tropical waters of the Southern Hemisphere and the northern Pacific, roaming rocky reefs, sandy margins, and offshore islands from shallow zones down to 50 m (160 ft), though anglers have hauled them from depths exceeding 300 m (980 ft). Their preferred temperature band is 17‒24 °C, and they are highly mobile, often schooling alone or mingling with southern bluefin tuna and silver trevally. Their behavior is marked by curiosity; amberjacks will shadow vessels and even follow stingrays, exploiting the rays’ electroreceptive hunting. As voracious pelagic hunters, they chase baitfish, yellowtail mackerel, squid, prawns, garfish, pilchards, and kahawai, yet they have also been recorded preying on seabirds in New Zealand waters. A surprising facet of their ecology is the apparent link between their migration into South Australia’s Spencer Gulf and the historic discharge of warm water from the Playford Power Stations, a pattern that persists even after the plants were decommissioned, hinting at a lingering thermal cue that guides their movements.

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