The threatened fish – often mistaken for Murray Cod due to their similar appearance – were bred and released by the Victorian Fisheries Authority as part of restocking efforts.
VFA fisheries manager John Douglas said the goal was to establish a self-sustaining population.
“We’ve bought back a population in the Ovens River and we brought back a population downstream in the Goulburn River near Nagambie,” he said.
“Now we want to get another population if we can, near Trawool.”
Trout cod, scientifically known as Maccullochella macquariensis, is endemic to the southern Murray-Darling river system.
It was first identified as a separate species in 1972, and by that time, modifications to the river systems already caused the fish to become endangered.
“Streams were becoming degraded, there’d been habitat taken out or changes to flow regimes,” Mr Douglas said.
“Fish couldn’t get up to where they wanted to spawn.”
As part of repopulation efforts, VFA breed the fish in captivity, and when they reach the right age, they can be released into the river.
It’s a time-consuming process.
The sustainable population of trout cod in the Ovens River took about 10 years to establish, Mr Douglas said.
“It takes a while,” he said.
“They go in as a very small fish, and they need to grow for a few years to mature, then they successfully spawn.”
Trout cod is just one of the species of fish the VFA is restocking.
The Victorian Government pledged to add 10 million fish to the state’s rivers and lakes before April, a deadline Mr Douglas said VFA was on track to meet.
“If we bring them back, you get healthy systems,” he said.
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