New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

💧 Freshwater Least Concern 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Tropical 🎣 Game Fish

Nurseryfish

Kurtus gulliveri Castelnau, 1878
Max Length
63 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.9
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
35.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
-

📖 Overview

Adults inhabit mangrove-nipa swamps, brackish estuaries and slow-flowing turbid rivers. Feed on small fishes, shrimps and crayfish. The male carries the eggs around like a bunch of grapes attached to a hook on the head, called forehead brooding . Esteemed table fish .

Scientific Name
Kurtus gulliveri
Authority
Castelnau, 1878
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
63 cm
Trophic Level
3.9
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
35.00/100
Water Temp
20–28 °C

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 15; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 44 - 47. : short and / or deep.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Nurseryfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous
Spawning Season
spring
Spawn Location
Substrate
Fertilization
External

Males carry eggs in clusters or balls attached to a hook on the head, known as 'forehead brooding'. This may be an adaptation to environments with low oxygen and high turbidity .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic. Tropical; 20°C - 28°C ; 2°S - 19°S central southern New Guinea and northern Australia.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater 🌿 Brackish
Trophic Level
3.9±0.63
Food Items

small fishes, shrimps and crayfish

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.0138 × L3.01 (TL)
Max TL
63cm
Dorsal Spines
7
Dorsal Rays
15
Anal Spines
2
Anal Rays
46

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Temperature Range
20–28°C

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2019

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
35.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.9
Predator
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Castelnau, 1878

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
strong pulls with head-shakes
Best Seasons
spring,summer,fall
Best Time
incoming tide, dawn and dusk
Line Weight
15-30
Rod Type
medium-heavy spinning
Hook Size
2/0-5/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
bottom fishing popping cork soft plastics live bait
Bait & Lures
live shrimp cut mullet soft plastic paddle-tails popping corks
Recommended Tackle
  • medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
  • 30-50 lb braid
  • fluorocarbon leader
Where to Find Them
  • grass flats
  • oyster bars
  • marsh drains
  • deeper channel edges
Tips & Tricks
Popping cork technique attracts fish from distance. Fish moving tides.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 3 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Nurseryfish ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.