Murray Cod

Maccullochella peeli

cod

Descended from the marine groper, Murray cod can tip the scales at around 113.5 kg and 1.8 meters in length. This makes them Australia's largest freshwater fish.

 

Life Cycle

Cod breed during spring floods from August to December, usually in hollow logs on the flooded riverbank.  The large eggs are guarded by the male before hatching into 8 - 9 mm fry.  These large young cod, which reside in dense bank-side structures, prey on food washing off the productive flood plain.  Large numbers of fry are only produced in flood years.  In the South Australian section of the Murray, female cod do not necessarily spawn each year.  They re-absorb their eggs during non-flood years to give their off-spring the best chance of survival during the best feeding conditions.

Young cod grow rapidly, reaching reproductive size (55cm) in about four years at 3 - 4 kg.

Feeding Habits

Murray cod consume a wide variety of prey.  They ingest virtually anything that takes their fancy, including waterfowl, rats and carp.  Beer cans, bottle tops and other shiny debris have also been reported from the stomach of Murray cod.

Cod love snags.  During turbid conditions they show little tendency to move far from their "home" structure either at night or during day.  Cod do not get along with other fish, including each other.  They aggressively attack any fish, including other species, entering their area.


Catch Limits & Legal Lengths

Minimum legal length:
 60 cm measured from tip of snout to tip of tail
Maximum legal length: Fish over 100 cm in length must be returned to the water
Personal daily bag limit: 1
Daily boat limit: 3
Closed season: Taking of Murray Cod is prohibited between 1 August and 31 December inclusive.