Species
Trevallies
Description
Five similar species are marketed as common Dart in Australia.
Available wild caught these free-swimming marine fish are found around most of the Australian coast, from Bunbury (WA) to Batemans Bay (NSW), from sheltered bays to offshore waters above reefs.
They are caught as by-catch, mainly by seines, gillnets and tunnel nets. These fish feed primarily on small shellfish and marine worms; giant Oystercracker Dart has strong bones inside its mouth used to crack the shells of Oysters and other hard molluscs.
Other Names
Black-spotted Dart, Black-spotted Swallowtail, Buck-nosed Trevally, Oyster Cracker, Oyster-eater, Pompano, Pumpkin Fish, Snub-nosed Dart, Snub-nosed Swallowtail, Southern Swallowtail, Surf Bream, Surf Trevally, Swallow Tail Dart, Swallowtail.
Family
Carangidae (Trevallies).
Season
Available year round.
Size and Weight
Commonly 35-75cm and 600g-3.5kg, but can grow to 18kg and 120cm.
Price
Low-medium priced.
Relations
Trevallies (including Bigeye, Black, Bluefin, Bluespotted, Diamond, Giant, Golden and Silver Trevallys), Black Pomfret, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, Samsonfish, Turrum, Yellowtail Kingfish, Yellowtail Scad.
To Buy
Sold whole (gilled and gutted), and in fillet form. In whole fish look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell. In fillets, look for yellowish-white, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.
To Store
Make sure whole fish is scaled, gilled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Lay whole fish or fillets, in a single layer on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months, below -18ºC.
To Cook
Average yield is 35%. Has a distinctive flavour, oily, slightly dry, firm flesh with medium flakes and few bones, which are easily removed. The thick skin is best removed.
Cooking Methods
Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue, smoke, pickle. It tends to be dry so marinating prior to cooking helps prevent drying out, as does wrapping in foil or banana leaves if baking or barbecuing.
Goes Well With
Basil, caraway, chilli, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, garlic, ginger, herbs (such as coriander, dill, French tarragon, parsley, sage, thyme), lemon, lime, olive oil, onion, oregano, sesame oil, soy sauce, tamarind, teriyaki sauce, tomato, vinegar, wasabi, white wine.
Alternatives
Silver Perch, Morwong, Gemfish, Warehou, Yellowtail Scad.
Imports
None.
Recipes
Teriyaki Silver Trevally Fillets with Sesame & Zucchini