Open Year-Round
John Dory
Zeus faber
Also known as: St Pierre, Peter's Fish
DPIRD Category
Demersal
Peak Season
Year round
Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
★★☆☆☆
Regulations & Limits
DEMERSAL
⚖️ Mixed Species Limit Applies
John Dory count towards your total demersal scalefish bag limit. You can keep a maximum of 2 demersal scalefish total statewide.
Limits by Bioregion
West Coast
OPEN
Min Size
—
Individual Limit
2 fish
Mixed Limit
Within 2 demersal total
✓ Open year-round.
South Coast
OPEN
Min Size
—
Individual Limit
3 fish
Mixed Limit
Within 5 demersal total
✓ Open year-round.
Gascoyne
N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
Pilbara
N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
North Coast (Kimberley)
N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
Good to Know
- No minimum size
- Distinctive black spot on side
- Premium eating fish
- Grows to 90cm, 8kg
- Usually incidental catch
ℹ️ Regulations can change. Always verify current rules at rules.fish.wa.gov.au
Size & Weight
| Typical Size | 30-50 cm |
| Max Size | 90 cm |
| Typical Weight | 1-3 kg |
| Max Weight | 8 kg |
Habitat
Where: Coastal reefs, seagrass beds, sandy bottoms near structure
Depth: 5-200m (usually 20-100m)
Season
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak
Available
Poor
Peak: Year round
How to Catch John Dory
1
Size & Weight
Setup
- Line: 10-20lb braid
- Leader: 20-30lb fluoro
Best Baits
- Small live fish (whitebait, yellowtail)
- Squid strips
- Pilchards (whole or strips)
- Prawns
2
Soft Plastics
Eating Quality
Flesh: White, firm, delicate, sweet flavour
Best cooked: Pan-fried in butter, steamed, baked whole
The Fight
John Dory are ambush predators, not fighters. Their compressed body shape and small fins mean they offer little resistance. The excitement is in the surprise of hooking one and the quality of the eating.