Kahawai

Kahawai/Australian salmon (Arripis trutta) are found all around New Zealand and Australia. They are known as Kahawai in New Zealand and Australian Salmon in Australia.

There are 2 closely related cousins. On the west coast of Australia, there are the Australian salmon western species (Arripis truttacea), and the Kermadec Kahawai (Arripis xylabion) in New Zealand. This species is found around the Kermadec Islands and seasonally around Northland and can grow much larger than their local cousins.

All are from the Arripidae family, which is related to the Herring family, as opposed to the Atlantic salmon and other Salmonidae species, which are actually the “true” salmon.

Kahawai/Australian salmon have a torpedo shaped, streamlined body and are full of power, making them popular with recreational anglers. They range from a greyish blue to green-blue on its back, sliver across the flanks, and are white on the belly with a large grey tail. Black spots cover the upper part of their back. Juveniles (under 25cm) have yellow spots scattered along their flanks along with dark grey stripes on the back.

They’re fast swimming, active carnivores. They’re highly visual feeders, eating a variety of crustaceans and polychaetes as juveniles, but their diet shifts to baitfish like pilchards, sprats and anchovies when they are adults. They use a herding technique to drive prey to surface. They’re also known to feed on crustaceans including crabs and shrimp on the seabed as well.

Their voracious appetites mean they are easy to target, as they will take any bait or lure you offer them, and when fishing off the beach they will swim right up onto the sand to take whatever you’re offering. They’re the perfect species for getting kids into fishing, and the adults love them as well.

The spawning habitats of Kahawai/Australian salmon are largely unknown, however it is thought to happen in late summer on the sea floor in around 60 – 100m of water.

Kahawai/Australian salmon are an oily fish, have a thick fillet, and are delicious if looked after properly. If you plan to keep them for the table, dispatch them humanely with a sharp blow behind the head, bleed them straight away by cutting the throat/gills, then put them into an ice slurry immediately. Ideally, they should be gutted soon after being dispatched and eaten within a few days after being caught. If looked after in this manner, they are a fantastic table fish either crumbed, fried, bbqed, put into a curry, or smoked. However, they do not keep well in the freezer and should be eaten soon after capture.

In New Zealand, kahawai are commonly found north of Kaikoura (on the east coast of the South Island). Kahawai are consistently found year-round. Kahawai peak in condition over the spring when they are chasing whitebait. Of the key indicators of feeding kahawai is bird activity. If there is a large group hovering in one spot, it’s likely that the kahawai are balling up baitfish and driving them to the surface. Once the birds start diving into the water, this means the kahawai are on the surface feeding.

In Australia, Australian salmon are found in NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania, while occasional schools will migrate as far north as south-east Queensland during the winter.

The western species are found in the southern parts of WA around the south coast to Lakes Entrance in Victoria.

Similarly to New Zealand, Australian salmon can be caught all year round in the states where they are distributed in Australia, but in some areas are more active in winter, as they prefer the cold water. They can be caught off the beach, around break walls and ocean rocks, and in bays and estuaries. But if you’re targeting the big ones, off the beach and the rocks are the best fishing spots.

Kahawai/Australian salmon are migratory fish, which can travel long distances. Juveniles are usually found in coastal waters and in sheltered bays, whereas adults can be found in open water. But their environment varies greatly – sandy beaches, reefs, pinnacles, open ocean, estuaries, and harbours.

They’re commonly caught to be used as bait for other larger fish, either as live bait or dead. This is because they are hardy fish that will often last all day and they are easy to catch and rig. Their flesh is also very oily and bloody, and if rigged as a dead bait with the skin on, will hold on a hook much better than the average pilchard.