Fingermark

Habitat Distribution

• Native to northern Australia — distributed from the Prince Regent River in the Kimberley, WA, east across the NT and Gulf of Carpentaria to roughly Mackay, QLD.
• Juveniles live in shallow tidal creeks, river mouths, and mangrove edges — the same water where you'd find small mangrove jack.
• Adults move to deeper inshore and coastal reefs, wrecks, and turbid muddy-bottom structure, typically in the 20–30 m range for the bigger fish.
• Large adults school in silty coastal areas and occasionally turn up on sandy offshore grounds; rarely venture far from the coast.

Key Locations

• Trinity Inlet and Kings Point, Cairns — deep harbour structure and night fishing with live squid produces large fish regularly.
• Gulf of Carpentaria — a major stronghold across both NT and Queensland waters, with fish spread through river systems and inshore reefs.
• Kimberley coast, WA — the western edge of the range; tidal rivers and coastal reefs hold good numbers.
• Northern Territory estuaries and Top End river systems — consistently productive, with NT Fisheries actively managing the stock.

Specific Spots

• Deep holes and snags inside tidal rivers and estuaries hold fish year-round — structure is the key, not open water.
• Edges of inshore wrecks and rock structures in 20–30 m are prime territory for larger adults, especially during neap tides or the tide change when current slackens.
• Mangrove-lined rockbars and creek mouths produce juvenile and sub-legal fish — worth knowing for the future stock.
• Harbour channels with depth — like Trinity Inlet near Cairns — concentrate fish at night when they feed more actively around structure.