TARPON, OXEYE

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TARPON, OXEYE

Scientific Name: 
Megalops cyprinoides
Also Known As: 
Oxeye Herring; Tarpon; Herring: Indo Pacific Tarpon; Bulan-bulan; Buan-buan; Hairen; OXEYE TARPON
Rating: 
Countries: 
Australia
Other Countries
Description: 

A smaller relative of the mighty Tarpon, the Oxeye Herring is often incorrectly referred to as a Tarpon. Although on light line the Oxeye Herring is a sportfish in its own right.

How To Identify: 

Oxeye Herring are very similar in shape to the mighty Tarpon albeit quite a bit smaller. They have an upward facing jaw with a very boney mouth, which makes them quite hard to hook. They have large scales and brilliant silver sides and belly. They can be greenish blue on top of their back. Mostly caught around the 2kg mark, they are occasionally caught to 8kgs, there has been unconfirmed reports of fish to almost double that size, however either way much less than the 120kgs that the mighty Tarpon can grow.

How To Catch: 

Oxeye Herring are sometimes caught when fishing for Barramundi or Saratoga in Northern Australia, however they can be targeted on light line with lures or flies. They readily take a small spinner or minnow. I have caught them fishing with live prawns when fishing for Barramundi and Mangrove Jack.

Where Found: 

Worldwide
Broadly speaking Oxeye Herring are found the Indo Pacific. The they are found through southeast asia, Papua New Guinea, Northern Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, India, the Red Sea and Natal.
Australia
In Australia they Oxeye Herring are found throughout Queensland, right around the northern part of Australia to the top half of Western Australia. They can be found from river mouths and near shore flats up to fresh water reaches of estuary systems, where they sometime become land locked in fresh water lagoons.

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