The Australian Bass has an obviously forked caudal fin. View larger image . The Australia Bass is recorded in coastal rivers, lakes and estuaries of eastern Australia from Fraser Island, Queensland to Wilson's Promontory, Victoria. It migrates considerable distances upstream, and has been historically recorded up to an altitude of 600m in the Hawkesbury River drainage, New South Wales. In more recent years, population sizes have declined because potential habitats have become inaccessable with the building of dams and weirs.
River regulation is reported to interfere with spawning cues.
In winter, adults migrate downstream to estuaries to breed. The Australian Bass eats fishes, crustaceans and other invertebrates such as insects. This Australian Bass has the typical dark scale margins and pale belly. View larger image . Four species of Macquaria are recorded from Australia.