Mary And Murray Cod

[Gordie]

Could someone advise on the difference between the Murray and Mary River Cod please.

I have been looking at photos ( close up ) and listening to fishermen on their habits. Reading the Freshwater magazine articles on the Murray Cod.

Is the difference just DNA. I would like to know just so I can pass it on to others as the Mary is endangered and needs all the help we can give it.

Thanks in advance on this one. I know there is some info out there.

Regards Gordon

[Cammy]

http://www.nativefish.asn.au/

That is a good site for finding info on many species of cod.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_cod
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_cod

These sites provide infomation about the difference between these species of cod.

EDIT Ok im an idiot and yet again i didnt read the thread properly:-[ . this link is mary river cod info, instead of trout cod. (i dunno y i was thinking trout cod).

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/mary-river-cod/information.html

Cammo

[Jeremy87]

murray darling catchment = murray cod. Coastal catchments = mary river or eastern cod. There hasn't been much research on the coastal species but the concensus is the mary and eastern cod are probably more closely related to each other than to the murray cod (even though the scientific classification suggests otherwise).

[Jeremy87]

lol would have paid to read the links before making my reply, just restating the same thing.

[Imfiik]

Hi Gordon,
A top bloke by the name of Gerry Cooke set up a hatchery at Lake Mcdonald at Coorooy. He has been Breeding Mary river cod there for many years and has stocked quite a few local impoundments. He has long retired but as far as I know the hatchery is still going and still breeding cod. All of the breeding stock was recruited from the local creeks and some of Gerrys breeding practices were far more practical and successful than a lot of the inland hatcheries. Imfiik.

[Gordie]

Thanks fellas for all the above.

Being a fishing nut I like to know about the species I am targeting especialy if they have close cousins

It looks like Harro has a book coming out covering this very subject and more.

It should answer all my questions and probably send me off after some other rare species. Catch Photo and Release.

Thanks again

[black_sheep]

Hey Gordon,

Didn't get a chance to look at those links but basically they are nearly identical and other than DNA testing, you cannot be 100% positive but from memory, I'm pretty sure that Mary's have slightly longer filaments coming off their pectoral fins. You also only catch Mary River cod in Mary catchment area. All 3 species are only found in their natural tributories. i.e. you won't find an eastern or murray in the Mary river catchment. Hope this helps.

[Gordie]

I had a good yarn with the property owner today where I fish often on the Stanley.

His family dates back 100 years on that piece of country side and his father told him how the aboriginal women used to come to the farm house and offer cod to the whites.

This is pre Somerset Dam, pre Mary River Cod so they would be the Eastern Cod or the Brisbane River Cod.

It appears if they are put together they will breed and therefore loose the pure strain.

We have had both Marys and Murrays in the Somerset water.

Thanks again fellas.