Argyrosomus japonicus is a silvery to bronze-green colored fish, a member of the Sciaenidae family, which may grow up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length. It is known as mulloway or jewfish in Australia and kob in South Africa. Argyrosomus japonicus has an Indo-Pacific distribution occurring in coastal waters surrounding Australia, Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Japan. Adults are gregarious and are found over soft bottoms mainly beyond the surf zone, occasionally going inshore. Juveniles are exclusively found in shallow water and sometimes move in to estuaries. In South Africa, the fish is sought after by both commercial and recreational fishermen alike. Over the past 5 years, the fish stock has been declining rapidly. In a recent study, local beach seine operations were cited as being responsible for decimating the fish stocks.