The southern yellowtail amberjack, yellowtail kingfish or great amberjack is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean. Although previously thought to be found in all oceans and seas, recent genetic analysis restricts S. lalandi proper to the Southern Hemisphere waters. However, they are found in northern hemisphere waters during certain times of the year. The fish was given its name by Monsieur de Lalande, a naturalist who first informed Valenciennes of the existence of this species. No-one is sure why he used the wordSeriola - to name the fish, but the second word Lalandi was derived from his surname Lalande.
Biology
Very little is known of the kingfish's biology, including their habitat preferences throughout juvenile life stages, migration patterns, and wild reproductive behaviour. Adults live around rocky reefs, rocky outcrops and dropoffs in coastal waters, and around pinnacles and offshore islands. Maximum length is often reported to reach up to 180 cm.
Culture
Seriola lalandi has been established as a suitable candidate for marine aquaculture. In contrast to the culture of S. quinqueradiata, juveniles of S. lalandi are not easily available from the wild, and juveniles are produced in hatcheries from captive breeding stock. The Stehr Group in South Australia is presently the largest producer of cultured S. lalandi in the world. Some attempts have been made to culture the species in New Zealand, both in seacages and a large land-based system at Parengarenga Harbour. Chile is currently trialling seacage and land-based farming methods. In Germany S. lalandi is being cultivated in the first landbased . The Dutch company, Kingdish Zeeland, is planning to open a land-based aquaculture S. lalandi operation in Maine, USA, in 2022. Most cultured S. lalandi is sold to the Japanese restaurant market for consumption as sashimi. Kingfish can be eaten in a variety of ways, including grilling and drying.
The yellowtail amberjack is a pelagic, schooling fish, usually seen as adults in small to large numbers. In general, they inhabit rocky reefs and adjacent sandy areas in coastal waters and occasionally enter estuaries. They are found from shallow water down to depths of around 50 m, although have been caught from over 300 m. Young fish up to 7 kg are known to form shoals of several hundred fish. They are generally found close to the coast, while larger fish are more common around deep reefs and offshore islands. Juvenile Yellowtail Kingfish are rarely seen, as they are often found far from land associated with floating debris or weed which provide camouflage. Juveniles are yellow with black bands. This colouration fades as the fish ages and by about 30 cm in length, the fish has assumed its adult colouration.
Distribution
The Yellowtail Kingfish occurs in tropical and temperate waters of the southern hemisphere and the northern Pacific. In Australia, it is recorded from North Reef, Queensland to Trigg Island, Western Australia, and as far south as Tasmania.
Prior to the introduction of Kingfish Traps in the 1970s, there was a huge amount of Yellowtail Kingfish in Sydney Harbour. These traps were so effective that some studies suggested the traps may have wiped out as much as 60 per cent of the larger kingfish population. In the mid-1990s under heavy pressure from recreational anglers, Bob Martin the Minister for Fisheries prohibited the use of these traps in Sydney Harbour.
