Barred javelin
Pomadasys kaakan
Illustration: Bloom by Day
Silver-grey with rows of dark spots that form faint bars across the upper body, and a small mouth set low in a steep head. They work soft bottom near estuary structure and can often be heard grunting through the water before you see them.
how to recognise it
- about twelve or more faint vertical bars made up of small dark brown spots and irregular blotches
- dark brown spots on the dorsal fins — the lower half of the spiny part, and in about three rows on the rayed part
- silvery-green above, golden-silver on the sides, silvery-white belly
- the lower tip of the tail is milk white
- big adults go almost plain golden-green, and the bars only show while the fish is alive
- scales rough to the touch, and two pores with a pit between them under the chin
don’t confuse with
- Silver javelin — the silver javelin has a dark brown SNOUT and yellow pelvic and anal fins, and its spots are scattered or in narrow rows rather than gathered into bars
Field marks read from FishBase, 2026-10-15. Our wording, their facts. Max size 80.0 cm TL.
facts
- habitat
- estuary
- size
- ~40 cm, to 80 cm
Max size from FishBase (80.0 cm TL); the typical size is Bluebird’s, not from a cited source
- records near here
- 6 at 4 of 6 spots
A count of occurrence records near these spots, not abundance. Records are where someone looked.
when it has been recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
A gap means no record in the sample, not absence.
the rule
QLD — Min: 40cm (whole or head/tail removed), or Min fillet length: 26cm (skin left on while on board a boat) · Limit: 10
source
· verified 2026-10-10
no NSW rule listed — check before you dive
no closed season recorded for this species — that is not the same as open; check the official page
Rules checked 2026-10-13 against qld.gov.au
Rules change. Check before you dive.
Occurrence data: Atlas of Living Australia (ala.org.au), CC-BY 4.0.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.