Leatherjackets

(Monacanthidae Family)

Common Names

There are about 60 types of Leatherjackets in Australian and New Zealand waters, so the main name used is Jacket.

Description

Leatherjackets are a relatively small, scaleless, rough-skinned fish, with small mouths, beaklike teeth, a serrated dorsal spine behind the head. Colouration varies from the brightly-coloured six-spined mosaic and horseshoe varieties, to the more drab and camouflaged rough and fan-bellied Leatherjacket.

Size

Most Leatherjackets are quite small, ranging from 0.5-3.0 kilos in weight.

Habitat

Juvenille fish are common in seagrass beds of estuaries and coastal bays. Adult fish are more prevalent around coastal reefs. You are likely to catch Leatherjackets around wharves and jetties.

Feeding

Leatherjackets forage on marine algae, tube worms, small shellfish, shrimp, prawns, worms, coral. They are also scavengers.

Fishing Technique

Light gear with the same setup as for Bream, with a small running sinker, a longshank hook size 6-2 and 2.0-8.0 kilo fishing line.

Eating

Leatherjackets have a white, slightly flesh. There have, however, been reports of mild poisoning after eating Chinaman Leatherjackets so CAUTION must be taken.

Legal Size & Bag Limit

Western Australia: Legal Length = 25cm, Bag Limit = 20