Average length 25-35cmAverage weight 400-650gm
Occurs around New Zealand and Southern Australia. Related to northern hemisphere redfish.
Helicolenus percoides is reddish-orange with brown and yellow dorsal patterns; Helicolenus barathri is redder in colour. Moderate scales. Head and gill spines less developed than in the red scorpian fishes; the dorsal colour pattern distinguishes them from several unrelated red or orange perches.
Sea perch occur around New Zealand, 200-600m, possibly more common in the south. A moderate by-catch by trawlers and line vessels. Resource size unknown probably moderate. There are unrelated perches which include orange perch, butterfly perch, red-banded perch, and splendid perch. They are quite similar to sea perch and sometimes caught with them. Orange perch (Anthias pulchellus) has orange above shading to silver below; widespread but uncommon in 200-400m; is a small by-catch of trawling.
