Current species under aquaculture or applied for at Aquablue Seafoods

1. Angel Fish - Pterophyllum scatare
2. Australian Bass - Macquaria novmaculeata
3. Black Tiger Prawn - Penaeus monodon
4. Brown Tiger Prawn - Penaeus esculentus
5. Carp Gudgeon - Hypseleotris compressa
6. Clown Fish - Ampihiprion spp.
7. Common Jollytail - Galaxias maculatus
8. Cox’s Gudgeon - Gobiomorphus coxii
9. Dwarf Flathead Gudgeon - Philypnodon sp.1
10. Eastern Freshwater Shrimp - Australatya striolata
11. Eel Tailed catfish – Tandanus tandanus
12. Fairy Shrimp - Machrobrachium australiensis
13. Firetail Gudgeon - Hypseleotris galii
14. Golden Perch – Macquaria ambigua
15. Greasy Back Prawn - Metapenaeus bennettae
16. Kingfish - Seriola lalandi
17. Long Fin Eel - Anguilla rienhardtii
18. Mulloway - Argyrosomus japonicus
19. Oyster Blenny - Omobranchus anolius
20. Pacific Blue Eye - Pseudomugil signifer
21. Pacific Oyster - Crassostrea gigas
22. Plains Mussels - Veleso ambigua
23. Sand Whiting - Sillago ciliata
24. School Prawn - Metapenaeus macleay
25. Short Fin Eel - Anguilla australis
26. Shrimp - Paratya australiensis
27. Silver Bream - Acanthopagrus australis
28. Silver perch – Bidyanus bidyanus
29. Snapper - Pagrus auratus
30. Striped Gudgeons - Gobiomorphus australis
31. Sydney Rock Oyster - Saccostrea glomerata
32. Tetras - Aphyocharax anisitsi
33. The Eastern Yabby - Cherax setosus
34. The Giant Spiny Crayfish - Euastacus spinifer
35. The Yabby - Cherax destructor
36. Akoya Oyster - Pinctada imbricata
37. Bullrout - Notesthes robusta
38. Estuary Perch - Macquaria colonorum
39. Barramundi Cod - Chromileptes altivelis

Yabbies

The Yabby is a freshwater crayfish native to Australia. Yabbies as a name can refer to any number of different freshwater crayfish species but as a rule it generally refers to Cherax destructor. This species is a native of the Murray Darling system and has the broadest distribution of any species in Australia. In fact, the yabby Cherax destructor is one of the few species other than man which is increasing its distribution across the planet's surface.

Yabbies are referred to as cockroaches or insects of the water and belong to the same phylum as insects. They are a tough, hardy animal that will thrive if the conditions are right. At Aquablue we grow yabbies to feed our broodstock and also as aquarium pets and dam stock.

Yabbies are generally always available at Aquablue in our public aquarium as pets for your aquarium or as dam stock for your dam.

Off Flavours

Off flavours can be quite common in freshwater fish and can easily be removed if proper procedures are followed. When we talk about off flavours we are generally talking a muddy or earthy type taste to fish. The causes of this can be varied but generally they are caused by geosmin and 2 methylisoborneol. These are compounds produced by blue-green algae and some bacteria.

Silver Perch are very susceptible to off flavours as they eat weeds and algae in the pond and also consume large amounts of mud and sediments as they feed off the bottom of the pond. Bass and yellowbelly are less susceptible as they eat more live food but can still become tainted when they eat small Atyidae shrimp which they suck from weeds, etc and consume weed or mud as a bicatch.

Yabbies generally do not retain off flavours like fish do, however, if they are fed aquatic weeds as a primary food source they can retain an off flavour. Native primrose is readily consumed by yabbies but does result in an off flavour.

It is essential that commercially grown fish be purged prior to sale to ensure a premium flavour every time. In the past, server damage has been caused in the market place by unpurged fish being sold. These fish referred to as road kill by commercial farmers can destroy the good name of an excellent eating fish like Silver Perch. A good Silver Perch is excellent eating and equivalent or better than most of its salt water competitors and a week in a purging system is all that’s required to ensure your fish is excellent.(See Purging below)

As a general rule, the muddier the dam the less chance of off flavours. This is the opposite of what most people expect. If the water is crystal clear then the sunlight penetrates to the bottom and more weeds, algae and bacteria grow. In muddy water less grow so less chance of off flavours. In a farm dam situation generally bass, catfish, yellowbelly and yabbies are fine to eat without any off flavours.

Purging

This refers to taking fish or crayfish from the pond and holding them in an artificial tank to ensure a quality tasting product.

Silver Perch can have an off flavour (see Off Flavours) that requires purging to remove. Generally this is achieved by removing the fish from the ponds and transferring them to a recirculation or flow through system under controlled conditions for purging. Clean clear water is used with 3–4 grams of salt per litre of water added. Excellent water quality is required to ensure the health of the fish. Salt is added as an antiseptic for any injuries incurred in harvest, as an anti fungal and parasite control and as a stress reducer. Fish generally should not be purged in cold water. The off flavours they have are retained in the fatty tissue of the fish and the larger the fish or fattier the fish the longer it will take to purge. Temperature in purging is critical as the higher the temperature the faster the fish’s metabolism will go and the faster the process. Generally most farmers purge for at least a week, though in some cases 2-3 weeks may be required. Taste testing fish prior to sale should be standard industry practice. Generally water is fully exchanged in the tanks within 2 hours of fish being deposited in them and then daily for the first few days to ensure good water quality as if the water quality is poor the fish will sicken and become valueless.

Yabbies are purged for approximately 3–4 days in clean clear freshwater with a dash of salt added. The aim of this exercise is to ensure the yabbies do not feed in the purging or holding tanks. Pool salt is usually used at a rate of 4 grams per litre of water and this helps to increase the taste of yabbies as salt is a flavour enhancer and increases the crustacean flavour in yabbies. Salt also helps clean the yabbies of ectocommensals and other parasites etc. This is only a bi product of purging as the aim of the exercise is to ensure the waste line through the meat in the tail from the stomach to the anus is clean and clear. If it is clean and clear the chefs at the restaurant do not need to devein the yabby and it is easier to prepare and the customers are happier. It also gives the advantage to the aquaculturalist over the wild catch which is not purged and gives you a marketing advantage.