Open Year-Round
Passionfruit Coral Trout
Plectropomus areolatus
Also known as: Squaretail Coral Trout, Footballer Trout
DPIRD Category
Demersal
Peak Season
Year round
Difficulty
Moderate
Fight Rating
★★★★☆
Regulations & Limits
DEMERSAL
⚖️ Mixed Species Limit Applies
Passionfruit Coral Trout count towards your total demersal scalefish bag limit. You can keep a maximum of 2 demersal scalefish total statewide.
Limits by Bioregion
West Coast
N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
South Coast
N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
Gascoyne
OPEN
Min Size
450
Individual Limit
1 fish
Mixed Limit
Within 5 demersal total
✓ Open year-round.
Pilbara
N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
North Coast (Kimberley)
OPEN
Min Size
450
Individual Limit
1 fish
Mixed Limit
Within 5 demersal total
✓ Open year-round.
Good to Know
- Part of coral trout group
- Darker spots than Common Coral Trout
- Square tail
- Grows to 75cm, 6kg
ℹ️ Regulations can change. Always verify current rules at rules.fish.wa.gov.au
Size & Weight
| Typical Size | 40-60 cm |
| Max Size | 73 cm |
| Typical Weight | 2-5 kg |
| Max Weight | 9 kg |
Habitat
Where: Coral reefs, lagoons, reef passages
Depth: 2-60m (usually 10-30m)
Season
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak
Available
Poor
Peak: Year round
How to Catch Passionfruit Coral Trout
1
Size & Weight
Setup
- Line: 30-50lb braid
- Leader: 40-60lb fluoro
Best Baits
- Live yellowtail
- Live hardyheads
- Fresh squid
- Pilchards
2
Jigging & Trolling
Eating Quality
Flesh: White, firm, sweet flavour
Best cooked: Pan-fried, steamed whole, sashimi
The Fight
Like all coral trout, these fish fight hard. Explosive strike, powerful initial run straight for the reef. Keep your drag tight and don't give line or they'll bust you off in the coral.