Home · Carangidae · Abrolhos kingfish
Abrolhos kingfish (Seriola hippos) — Carangidae

Abrolhos kingfish

Seriola hippos
Family: Carangidae
LC · Least Concern

The Abrolhos kingfish (Seriola hippos) is a brackish-water fish of the family Carangidae that grows up to 150 cm.

Length
150 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Range
Temperate coastal waters of Australia; near reefs and man-made structures.
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Want the complete picture on the Abrolhos kingfish?

Description

The samson fish is a large jack (Carangidae) from the temperate coastal waters of Australia. The species has a robust, streamlined, silvery body with a powerful, forked tail and grows to over a metre. Adults live in coastal seas, often near reefs, jetties and pylons, and sometimes enter estuaries. As a fast, powerful predator it hunts fishes and squid. It is a popular, hard-fighting sport fish. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Abrolhos kingfish?

The Abrolhos kingfish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern. Large, powerful jack (>1 m); popular, hard-fighting sport fish.

Where does the Abrolhos kingfish live?

The Abrolhos kingfish lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water. Temperate coastal waters of Australia; near reefs and man-made structures.

How big does the Abrolhos kingfish get?

The Abrolhos kingfish grows to a maximum of about 150 cm.

Is the Abrolhos kingfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Abrolhos kingfish is harmless to humans. None required: this species is harmless to humans.

Is the Abrolhos kingfish edible?

Yes, the Abrolhos kingfish is commonly eaten.

More photos

Abrolhos kingfish (Seriola hippos) — Carangidae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — Kare Kare (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Abrolhos kingfish (Seriola hippos) — Carangidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) John Sear, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Abrolhos kingfish (Seriola hippos) — Carangidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Pete - symbo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Abrolhos kingfish (Seriola hippos) — Carangidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) John Sear, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))

Want the complete picture on the Abrolhos kingfish?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Abrolhos kingfish is one of 12,519 species in the app.

All data

Identification

English name
Abrolhos kingfish verified
Scientific name
Seriola hippos
Family
Carangidae
Other names
Kingfish; Kingy; Sambo; Samson; Samson fish; Samsonfish; Sea kingfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
150 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey
Pattern
Plain
Tail shape
Forked
Mouth position
Terminal
Lips
Thick / fleshy
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Natural range
Temperate coastal waters of Australia; near reefs and man-made structures.
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Fishes and squid sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups
Territorial
No
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known.
Special features
Large, powerful jack (>1 m); popular, hard-fighting sport fish. sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Angling with lures or (dead/live) baitfish by trolling, casting or drift fishing in open water.
Regulations source

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
None required: this species is harmless to humans. sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Seriola

More from the family Carangidae

Want the complete picture on the Abrolhos kingfish?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Abrolhos kingfish is one of 12,519 species in the app.

Is this the Abrolhos kingfish?