Fingermark (golden snapper)

A deep-bodied golden-bronze snapper with a dark spot (the "fingermark") on the side below the soft dorsal fin, bright golden flanks with dark scale centers forming thin lines, and a slightly forked tail. Called golden snapper in the NT and WA.

4–12 lb.

About 3½ ft and over 60 lb (28.5 kg).

Fish, prawns, crabs and squid.

Young fish live in estuaries and mangroves; adults hold on rocky reefs, wrecks and headlands near the coast, often in murky water. Easily hurt by barotrauma when pulled from deep water.

Found from Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory & Western Australia, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam), Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi), Philippines, South Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Pakistan and East Africa & Indian Ocean Islands. Inshore rocky reefs, wrecks, headlands and estuary mouths from Western Australia across northern Australia to Queensland, and from East Africa to Southeast Asia and Fiji.

Inshore rocky reefs, wrecks, headlands and estuary mouths from Western Australia across northern Australia to Queensland, and from East Africa to Southeast Asia and Fiji.

10–260 ft.

15–80 ft.

All year; the build-up and early dry season are good.

Dawn and dusk, and at night.

Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.

Warm, stable weather; the build-up before the wet season and calm, overcast days are excellent. Heavy rain muddies the water.

Live mullet, herring, squid and prawns.

Vibes, soft plastics on heavy jig heads and slow jigs.

7 ft medium-heavy spinning or overhead rod (10–15 kg).

4/0–7/0 hooks.

30–50 lb braid.

50–80 lb fluorocarbon.

Fish vibes or live bait over rock bars and wrecks in the evening and on small tides; strike hard and pull them away from the structure.

Fingermark bite best on the neap (small) tides, when the current slows over the rocks.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Excellent: white, moist and sweet; bake whole or grill.

Sharp teeth and gill covers; crocodiles in northern estuaries.

The NT, Queensland and WA have bag and size limits, and the NT has combined limits on reef fish to protect stocks. Use a release weight for fish you return. Check current rules. Licenses and rules differ by country across the Indo-Pacific: Australia's states, Asian countries and the Pacific islands all set their own bag limits, size limits and marine park zones. Check the local rules or fish with a licensed charter.

Very vulnerable to barotrauma; keep your limit and stop, or release fish quickly with a descender.