Fish Tales - What Fish is That - Department of Fisheries, Govt of Western Australia

Dhufish

Dhufish live near deep inshore reefs over weed covered sandy bottoms or areas of offshore reef. These areas provide protection for their young. Dhufish only spawn once a year. Large females can release up to 3 million eggs. Female dhufish are able to reabsorb their eggs instead of laying them if they think the conditions are not right.

Dhufish live in the same area throughout their life. They can weigh a massive 16 kilos and measure over a metre in length, a fish of this size would have to be nearly 20 years old. Young dhufish can grow up to 30 cm a year.

Not much is known about the breeding habits of the dhufish and research is currently trying to find this and other things out. We do know that dhufish are slow growing and can take up to four years to be able to breed. At breeding age these fish will be approximately 35 - 38 cm long.

Scientific and other names
Westralian dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum) are also known as a 'jewie'.

What they look like
Dhufish have a silvery bronze colour to their bodies with a distinct dark strip through their eye. This dark line is called a chevron.

Juvenile dhufish have black horizontal stripes along their body. These disappear as they grow. Dhufish can grow up to 1.22 metres long and around 20 kilograms.

Where they live
Dhufish live around deep reefs from Shark Bay and south along the coast to the Recherche Archipelago near Esperance.

Porthole