Barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

Taste:
The barramundi has a pinky-white flesh with a light to firm texture and a medium oil content. The fish have a mild flavour that appeals to all palates and yet encourages the use of exotic accompanying ingredients to bring out those flavours further. When cooked, barramundi flesh is white with large flakes and few bones. Barramundi lends itself well to all types of cuisine and almost all of the fish is edible. Barramundi was originally a very popular food with the Aboriginals, who wrapped it in the leaves of the wild ginger plant and baked in hot ashes. Today barramundi has both a national and international reputation as a fish with premium eating qualities.

Colouration:
They are greenish-bronze along the back, silver along the sides, shading to white on their bellies. Juveniles have creamy and dark blotches, and may have yellowish pelvic and tail fins. Most barramundi begin their lives as males and change to females as they become much larger. The maximum legal size limit is in place to protect these females.

Habitats:
Estuaries & coastal waters

Common names:
Australia: Barra, Giant perch

Barramundi Cod (Cromileptes altivelis)

Taste:
The barramundi cod has white flesh with an excellent texture and flavour. It is often said that it is best served baked or steamed whole, although it retains its texture and delicacy of flavour beautifully when served cold too. The flesh of the Barramundi Cod has white small flakes when cooked and its truly exquisite flavour is best presented when cooked with few additional ingredients. The combination of the natural elegance and flavour make Barramundi cod one of the most highly prized fish in Asia.

Body shape:
Body compressed. Dorsal head profile distinctly concave steeply at the nape. Head is pointed, and small relative to body. Round caudal fin.

Colouration:
Pale greenish brown to whitish brown, with widely-spaced, round black spots on head, body and on all fins. Few faint blotches scattered on, and overlapping with small black spots on body.

Habitats:
Coral reef

Common names:
Australia: Barramundi Cod
Indonesia: Kerapu Tikus
Asia: 

Queensland Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)

Taste:
This is the largest of the true reef fishes and rarely available. It too has the excellent eating qualities of the grouper family, with large white flakes of flesh when cooked. As with the barramundi, the flesh of the Queensland Grouper lends itself to a wide variety of cuisine and supports the use of exotic ingredients.

Body shape:
Body robust. The dorsal head profile convex. Interorbital area flat or slightly convex. Round caudal fin.

Colouration:
Juvenile (about 12 cm SL) yellow with irregular broad black bars on body, the first bar extending from beginning of dorsal fin to belly and chest and onto the head. Small adults with irregular white or yellow spots on the black areas and fins with irregular black spots. Adults of 80 - 150 cm SL dark brown with pale mottling colour. Fins with numerous black spots. Large adults of over 160 cm SL are dark brown and the fins are darker in colour.

Habitats:
Coral reef and estuaries

Common names:
Australia: Queensland Grouper
Indonesia: Kerapu Tikus
Asia: 

Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus)

Taste:
The coral trout has firm white flesh for excellent eating and is highly prized for its eating qualities. It is a handsome looking fish with colours ranging from light pink and red to dark crimson with blue spots. When excited, the skin of the coral trout throbs with a bright red colouration. The traditionally preparation of coral trout, steamed with ginger and spring onions, is truly memorable, but the flavour also lends itself to using a variety of additional ingredients.

Body shape:
Body elongated and robust. Interorbital area flat. Emarginate caudal fin.

Colouration:
Body and head olivaceous to red. Numerous fine blue dots on head, body and median fins. Pectoral fins red. Dark band on the posterior margin of caudal fin.

Habitats:
Coral reef

Common names:
Australia: Coral Trout
Indonesia: Sunu Merah
Asia: