Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Murray Cod


The Murray Cod is Australia's best known and most sought after freshwater fish.   It can grow to weights of up to 45kg, although fish of this size are rare today.
This famous Australian freshwater fish is nearly always known as Murray cod, or simply as "cod" or "Murray". However, it is unrelated to the true cod family of the Northern Hemisphere, and is actually a more distant member of the perch group, which also contains the golden perch and Australian bass. In modern times, the use of the Aboriginal word "goodoo" has become popular in some circles when referring to Murray cod.

The Murray Cod is big, robust and barrel shaped with a huge mouth and small eyes set well forward on the head.  It is not a particularly good fighting fish, in fact is is quite lazy.  It is olive green to yellow/green or grey/green on the back fading to yellowish on the flanks and creamy yellow or white on the belly.  The back is overlaid with darker green or brown mottlings and reticulations which often extend well down the flanks.  The eyes are brown.
The second dorsal and caudal fins usually have white margins and sometimes such margin is also found on the ventral fin.  These fin tip colours are particularly striking on fish from clearer, faster flowing streams.

It can be found in the entire Murray/Darling river systems, with the exception of the alpine and sub-alpine headwaters.  Cod have also been introduced into many dams and some eastern flowing (coastal) drainage's.  They are found in habitats ranging from shallow, fast-running streams with gravel beds to deep, turbid and slow flowing western rivers.  They also thrive in dams.  Even in quick flowing streams, Murray Cod tend to be found in deep holes, slicks and back eddies.  They favour deep water, cover and a ready access to food.

Highly valued for recreational, commercial and conservation purposes, the murray cod (Maccullochella peeli) is the largest freshwater fish found in Australia.



 


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Some River Facts !!

River Facts

  • The Murray is the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and Nile
  • Total length - 2756 kilometres from its source in the Upper Murray and the Kosciusko National Park
  • The Murray is continuously navigable for 1986 kilometres from Goolwa to Yarrawonga
  • It goes through three states - Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia
  • The river has 4 major dams, 16 storage weirs and 15 navigable locks
  • Is the major domestic water supply for over 1.5 million households
  • Along with its tributaries, the Murray is part of the third largest water catchment on earth
  • Aboriginal occupation goes back 40,000 years at Mungo National Park close by
  • For half a century from 1853, the Murray was a virtual water highway
  • The worlds largest canoe race is held each year on the Murray
  • Murray Cod can easily grow up to 1.8m in size
  • The Murray has the worlds largest redgum forest and ibis rookery on its banks
  • The Murray is a mecca for golfers with 37 golf courses along its banks

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Australias Largest River System

A Little background education first before the fun stuff :)

WHAT IS THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN?

The Murray–Darling Basin is Australia’s largest river system, and one of the biggest systems in the world. It covers over a million square kilometres of land in south-eastern Australia, collecting the water draining west of the Great Dividing Range.
Much like a huge bowl, the Basin collects water that flows inland to the west across flat floodplains, forming rivers, creeks and wetlands as it goes. Passing through five states and territories — Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia — its water eventually flows out to sea at Goolwa in South Australia.
Although the two longest rivers in the Basin are the Darling and Murray rivers, the system includes 23 major rivers in all.
Throughout the Basin there is great variation in climatic conditions and landscapes. From the warm, sub-tropical environment in the north, the Basin ranges through cooler, humid highlands to the east; cold alpine country further south; temperate regions in the south-east, and hot, arid plains in the west before reaching the sea.

Some quick facts :
Australias largest River system
Total area over one million km2
Passes through five States & Territories
Produces over one -third of Australias Food
 
 

Friday, October 22, 2010

Day 1:

Hi everyone I live, work & play in the Riverland and as the name suggest the Mighty River Murray is in my backyard. Now there is lot of discussion about the River and water allocations
I will keep my blogs interesting & informative hopefully giving you all a better understand of our beautiful River   .....