Teraglin

Habitat Distribution

• Endemic to eastern Australia — found from southern Queensland (around Double Island Point) south to Montague Island, NSW. This is a narrow range for an offshore species.
• Adults school over hard reef ground offshore, typically in 20–90 m of water where peaks and gutters concentrate baitfish. Rarely found over sand or gravel bottom.
• Juveniles use deeper estuaries and inshore waters; adults move fully offshore and don't show up in estuaries or from the beach.
• The Eastern Australian Current is thought to distribute larvae along this coast, which is why the species is treated as a single biological stock across both states.

Key Locations

• Offshore reefs between Double Island Point (southern QLD) and Noosa — the northern end of the range where trag are a secondary target in the Rocky Reef Fishery.
• Offshore reefs off the NSW central and northern coast — productive marks exist along this stretch for anglers who know the bottom structure.
• Broken Bay and Port Hacking, Sydney — the southern extent of reliable catches; local reef marks here have produced fish for generations of Sydney-based bottom fishers.
• Montague Island, NSW — the southernmost extent of the documented range, with offshore reef structure holding fish seasonally.

Specific Spots

• High reef peaks and deep gutters are the key features — trag school tight to hard structure during daylight, then spread out to feed after dark.
• Sunken wrecks hold fish too; any hard structure that breaks the current and concentrates baitfish or squid is worth a drift or an anchor set.
• At night, fish move up off the bottom and can be found at mid-water — don't assume they're always pinned to the reef after dark.
• During the day, fish show on the sounder in tight schools close to the reef; daytime catches are rare and usually accidental, most often around full and new moon periods.