Maxium length 210 cm. Bluish grey above, paler below with a silvery sheen; fins blackish brown. Juveniles have black blotches on head and body. Body tall, compressed. Big mouth with big head and a rough bony ridge across upper part of the gill cover
Spawn in the summer.
Depth range 40 - 600 m usually 100 - 200 m. Adults prefer to inhabit caves and shipwrecks. Juveniles congregate below floating objects. Usually solitary. Feed on large crustaceans, cephalopods and benthic fishes.
Bass is managed under the QMS as Hapuku and Bass (HPB). All catch and value information relating to this stock can be found on the HPB species page.(click here)
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Key statistics
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| 1 Reported commercial catch is calculated for the 12 month period to 30/09/2025 |
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| 2 Quota value and exports are calculated pro-rata to reported commercial catch for the 12 month period to 30/09/2025 |
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