What is a barramundi?
Barramundi is a large fish of northern Australia's rivers, estuaries and coastal waters. It is prized by anglers for its fighting strength and widely eaten for its mild, white flesh.
Barramundi can grow over a metre long and weigh more than 40 kilograms. Their name comes from an Aboriginal language of Queensland and is often translated as large-scaled river fish.
They live from the Kimberley across the Top End to Queensland, and also in Asia, where they are known as Asian sea bass. They move between salt and fresh water during their lives.
Changing sex
Most barramundi start life as males and change to females when they are around five years old or larger. This means the biggest fish are usually female.
Barramundi are popular on restaurant menus and are also farmed in sea cages and ponds in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia. Labelling laws in the Northern Territory require restaurants to say whether fish is imported, as much barramundi sold in Australia comes from overseas.
Fishing for barra is a highlight of trips to Darwin, Kakadu and Cape York, and fishing competitions draw anglers from across the country. Seasonal closures protect spawning fish in some areas.
Did You Know?
Barramundi is often called barra in Australia.