MURRAY COD ( Oligorus macquariensis ), one of the largest of the numerous fresh-water Perciform fishes of Australia, and the most celebrated for its excellent flavour. It belongs to the family Serranidae. Its taxonomic affinities lie in the direction of the perch and not of the cod family. The shape of the body is that of a perch, and the dorsal fin consists of a spinous Murray Cod.
and rayed portion, the number of spines being eleven. The length of the spines varies with age, old individuals having shorter spines - that is, a lower dorsal fin. The form of the head and the dentition also resemble those of a perch, but none of the bones of the head has a serrated margin. The scales are small. The colour varies in different localities; it is generally brownish, with a greenish tinge and numerous small dark green spots. As implied by the name, this fish has its headquarters in the Murray River and its tributaries, but it occurs also in the northern parts of New South Wales. It is the most important food fish of these rivers, and is said to attain a length of more than 3 ft. and a weight of 1 20 lb.