Find a Fish
Bigeye Ocean Perch
Helicolenus barathri (Hector, 1875)
A Bigeye Ocean Perch caught by K. Graham on FRV Kapala (K 85-06-01) at a depth of about 500 m, off Kiama, New South Wales, May 1985. Photo: K. Graham © NSW DPI. View larger image.
The Bigeye Ocean Perch has a large mouth, large eyes and a long-based dorsal fin. It is overall pinkish-red in colour with poorly defined brown bars on the body and greenish flecks on the scales.
The species grows to at least 40 cm in length.
It occurs in Australia and New Zealand.
In Australia it is found from off southern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Great Australian Bight off South Australia.
The Bigeye Ocean Perch is a demersal species that lives on flat, hard seabeds in upper continental slope waters at depths between 250 m and 800 m.
Two species of Helicolenus occur off the New South Wales coast. The second species, the Reef Ocean Perch is a smaller fish that grows to about 30 cm and lives in shallower water (80 m to 350 m). It is more orange in colour, has small dark spots on the head and darker bars on the body.
Both species are important commercial fishes around south-eastern Australia.
Prior to the Australian standard name ‘Bigeye Ocean Perch’ being adopted, this species had also been called Coral Perch, Ocean Perch, Red Gurnard Perch, Red Perch, Red Rock Perch and Sea Perch.
Related links
- Reef Ocean Perch fact sheet
- View the Family Sebastidae list
- View the Scorpionfishes list
Further Reading
- Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. in Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
- Last, P.R., E.O.G. Scott & F.H. Talbot. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority. Pp. 563. (as Helicolenus papillosus ).
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2006
Page researched and compiled by
M. McGrouther & K. Graham, January 2008.
