What is a Murray cod?
The Murray cod is Australia's largest freshwater fish, native to the Murray-Darling Basin. It can grow to more than a metre long and live for decades.
Murray cod have a large mouth, a greenish body with darker mottled patterns and a white belly. The biggest recorded fish weighed over 100 kilograms, although such giants are rare today.
They are top predators in their rivers, eating fish, yabbies, frogs, birds and even small mammals that fall into the water. They prefer deep holes near snags, such as fallen trees and logs.
Culture and conservation
Murray cod hold a central place in Aboriginal stories of the Murray River. In one story, the river was formed as the giant cod Ponde was chased by an ancestral hunter.
Overfishing, river regulation, cold water released from dams and habitat loss have reduced their numbers. The species is listed as vulnerable nationally, and fishing rules include size limits and a spawning season closure.
Fish kills during droughts and blackwater events have killed many large cod. Restocking with hatchery-bred fish and returning snags to rivers aim to help them recover.
Did You Know?
Murray cod can live for more than 40 years.