Inhabit waters of southern Australia from Cape Moreton in Queensland to North West Cape in Western Australia, but excluding Tasmania (Ref. 6390). The species is considered to be endemic to Australia, although a single specimen has been reported from New Zealand (Ref. 30464). Also Ref. 9563.

Stock structure: Tagging studies (Ref. 30466) have demonstrated that ocean jackets from the eastern Great Australian Bight and the south-east of South Australia are a common stock. Relationships with populations from other areas are unknown.

Commercial fishery: Ocean jackets were intensively fished in northern New South Wales during the 1940s and 1950s but, after a dramatic decline in their numbers there, the fishery was replaced by a snapper (Pagrus auratus) fishery. Ocean jackets were also fished in the Albany region of Western Australia during the 1970s.

The South Australian fishery commenced in 1984 largely as a supplement to southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) fishing and shark fishing, and has developed rapidly. Commercial catches of ocean jackets are now taken mainly in South Australia and to a much lesser extent along the entire New South Wales coast, to the edge of the continental shelf. The South Australian fishery operates all year, although catches are lower in winter.

The principal fishery uses traps. The traps used in South Australia have a single, 80 mm wide opening (Ref. 30467) and are set at depths from 60 m to 150 m. The traps are baited with rocklobster heads and set at dawn, and are retrieved about 2 hours later. After removal from the trap, the fish are immediately headed, gutted and chilled. The traps are rebaited and set in the same general area, to be pulled up again in a further 2-3 hours’ time. The process continues over the day. Because the fishing grounds in South Australia are at least 7-8 hours’ steaming time offshore, fishers usually stay at sea for 3-5 days at a time.

Ocean jackets are not fully recruited to the commercial trap fishery until they are about 4 years of age (Ref. 30466) and the average total length of fish taken is 40 cm - although fish over 57 cm are common.

Demersal otter trawling takes only a small proportion of the South Australian ocean jacket catch. In the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery, trawling for these fish is generally conducted between 150 m and 180 m depth. Most ocean jacket catches in the Bight are made around 126°E.

In New South Wales, ocean jacket are caught as a bycatch of demersal trawling and Danish seining (Ref. 30465). In addition, snapper trap fishers occasionally target ocean jackets by changing from a fish to a meat bait.

Most ocean jackets caught in South Australian waters are sold in New South Wales as fresh trunks and some are sold in Victoria. In comparison, demand in South Australia and Western Australia is poor.

Recreational fishery: There is no established recreational fishery for ocean jacket, although juveniles may be caught in bays as incidental catch to the King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctata) and snapper fisheries. Generally, children fish for these small leatherjackets.

Resource status: Ocean jackets are fast growing and have a short life span. A recent assessment (Ref. 30466) of the South Australian ocean jacket resource indicated that it would probably sustain high fishing pressure. However, the extent of the resource is not known, and this uncertainty suggests that catches should not be increased at this stage.

The New South Wales stocks of ocean jacket were fished down from the early days of the fishery, although some quantities remain. For example, ocean jackets are among the top 10 (of approximately 100) species landed at the Coffs Harbour Fishermen’s Cooperative, and comprise 3-5 % of the total catch.

The species has not been exploited recently in Western Australia, although it is plentiful there between Albany and Eucla (at least).High transport costs to eastern markets have so far impeded the development of a fishery in that State.