coral trout size?

[Thomas Munksgaard]

Hi Guys

Just returned from a trip to tanzania. We caught a couple of really nice coral trouts on the jig. We got one on 17 kg and one on 22 kg. Does anybody now how big these fish get? and anybody know if there is an existing world record and what is it..
Can post a few photos later when we get them all sorted out.

Regards Thomas

[Mark Harris]

Hi Thomas, there are several species which use the common name Coral Trout.  A quick search of Fishbase will reveal at least 11 species for which this common name is used.

Do you have an idea which species you caught (preferably its scientific name)? That should allow you to then do a search at IGFA to find an All Tackle world record.

All that being said, for most of the species normally called Coral Trout, I think your catches are good size for sure.

[Chuen Fan]

Those are bloody big trout!

[Mark Gwynne]

That's a couple of awesome fish there. Can't wait to see the pictures. They would have to be Plectropomus laevis. We call them Blue Spot trout in my neck of the woods. The juveniles are called Chinese footballers and have a yellow colouration, very pretty.

[Mark Harris]

Or Black-saddled Coral Grouper as it is often called.  I like the Chinese Footballer name .

I think those go up to about 25 kgs?

[Thomas Munksgaard]

Dont know the name but i guess it must be the Plectropomus Laevis..

Pictures here :-)



17 kg trout






22 kg trout

[Mark Harris]

Thomas, I don't think those are P. laavis.  The ones I have seen are quite a bit darker and distinctly banded.  Lots of our Aussie members will be much more familiar with the species than me though.

Look more like P. leopardus to me:


 (http://www.fishbase.org/photos/PicturesSummary.php?ID=4826&what=species).

If so, those are VERY big specimens!  Equally there might a similar but different species in Africa?

[Thomas Munksgaard]

A look at fishbase.org says that max published weight of a Plectropomus leopardus is 23,6 kg..  If its correct then it sure is a big specimin we caught...   

[Dan Wulf]

Wow! Irrespectively of species these are great trouts! I never landed coral trouts above 4-5 kg, so in comparison these are real monsters.

Just checked the IGFA records (via iPhone -> IGFA app).

IGFA records (all tackle):
Plectropomus laevis (coralgrouper, blacksaddled): 24.2 kg, 1997, Japan
Plectropomus oligacanthus (coralgrouper, highfin): 1.2 kg, 1994, PNG
Plectropomus leopardus (coralgrouper, leopard): 7.4 kg, 2002, Japan

[Mark Gwynne]

If you have a look at the elongated spots behind the eye region in particular plus the generally larger spots across the body, it suggests to me that they are Bar Cheeked trout, Plectropomus maculatus. We also call them Island trout as they occur inshore more than the Leopard trout. I can't get a good look at the second one but pretty confident with the fist.

What horses they are though!! Catch of a lifetime stuff IMO!!

[Duncan O'Connell]

Those are some monster trout!
I thought I'd hit the jackpot when I got one about 12kg on a popper a couple of years back!
Aaron Concord was telling me about some monsters that came from Kenn reef when they were out there a few years ago. I think 20-30kg was mentioned, but I'm not sure if that was captured or an estimation of the ones busting them off!

Aaron, over to you...

Duncan

[Luke Wyrsta]

I've seen a couple close to 20kg. Doesn't surprise me if they get over 30, even pushing way ahead that in very remote, food-rich areas 

[Dan Konig]

Those are some horse trout.

I certainly haven't seen them anywhere near that big before, and we target them quite a lot.

[Mark Harris]

Very interesting. What is for sure is that they are freaky big and a trophy catch!

Mark's points about the cheek markings seem very pertinent. However, Fishbase has Plectropomus maculatus (Spotted coralgrouper or Bar-cheeked Trout) not occurring in the western Indian Ocean (http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=4886), and make the point that it is often misidentified, and the Indian Ocean fish is  Plectropomus pessuliferus (Roving coralgrouper).

Distribution shows the latter occurring widely off the East African coast and sizes are given up to 1.2 metres.  Roving Coralgrouper seems the most likely ID on that basis.

[Jay Burgess]

Very interesting. What is for sure is that they are freaky big and a trophy catch!

Mark's points about the cheek markings seem very pertinent. However, Fishbase has Plectropomus maculatus (Spotted coralgrouper or Bar-cheeked Trout) not occurring in the western Indian Ocean (http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=4886), and make the point that it is often misidentified, and the Indian Ocean fish is  Plectropomus pessuliferus (Roving coralgrouper).

Distribution shows the latter occurring widely off the East African coast and sizes are given up to 1.2 metres.  Roving Coralgrouper seems the most likely ID on that basis.

Agreed, they certainly don't look like bar-cheek coral trout.