Samson Fish

(Seriola Hippos)

Common Names

Sea Kingfish

Description

The Samson Fish is a medium to large fish, which is a deep-bodied predatory fish, distinguished from the Amberjack by the number of fin rays and gill rakers. The Samson has 23-25 soft rays in it's second dorsal. The colouration of the Samson fish is variable. Adults are blue-green to greeny-gold or bronze on the back, paler on the flanks. Younger fish are reddish-bronze on the back, with fairly distinct vertical blotches and bars of dark brown or black on the back and upper flanks. The fins are reddish-yellow or dusky.

Size

They can grow to at least 50 kilos in weight, but if you catch one over 30 kilos you have done rather well. Juveniles in the 0.8-5.0 kilo range are seasonally abundant in some areas.

Habitat

The Samson Fish is an Australian species, confined mainly to temperate and sub-tropical waters, but ocassionally found in cooler southern waters. They are an inshore and reef-orientated fish, and are found from southern Queensland from Nambucca Heads to Jervis Bay. But they are found more in the west from Recherche Archipelago to Shark Bay. They habituate headlands, reefs, pinnacle, bouys, wharves.

Feeding

They do much of their feeding fairly close to the seabed, and small fish form extensive schools whilst large individuals swim in loose groups. They eat small to medium fish, squid, crabs, prawns, octopus.

Fishing Technique

They are a hard fighting fish, and tackle used should be similar to that used for Kingfish or deepsea fishing. Hook size 4/0-9/0, 8.0-24.0 kilo fishing line. Best baits are live fish, dead fish, pilchards, gars, squid, fish strips, lure such as minnown, jigs and spoons.

Eating

Small to medium sized Samson Fish make a fine table fish. They have a white, slightly dry flesh. They should be bled immediately after being caught.