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Entering Sydney Fish Market for the first time can be an utterly overwhelming experience. The incredible variety of seafood on display (over 100 species on any given day), the huge range of retailers (from a bunch of wet fish and cooked seafood restaurants, to a butcher, a baker, an artisanal deli, a greengrocer, and a bottle shop), and the hustle and bustle of oyster shucking and fish filleting and ice packing... It can be a lot to take in. 

First timers will often stick to the market's cooked offerings, which is a great way to try some of Australia's freshest seafood when you aren't quite sure how to go about purchasing it fresh. People slightly more experienced might pick up some freshly shucked oysters, some sliced sashimi, or maybe a fillet of a familiar fish, like Atlantic Salmon, Snapper, or Barramundi. 

But it's obvious to any visitor that there is so much more to discover at the Market. If you're ready to dive in and get the most out of your Sydney Fish Market visit, then check out this guide. 

This article details some of our top tips for purchasing seafood, including freshness indicators!

Please also see our Purchasing & Storage page 

Buying species that are in season and asking your fishmonger for recommendations are two great ways to get a bargain while still eating fresh Australian seafood. Each season, Sydney Fish Market releases an article detailing the best species to try in Summer, Autumn, Winter, or Spring respectively, so check those out for detailed recommendations!

Whole fish are always better value than fillets or cutlets, as you aren’t paying for the fishmongers’ time to fillet and prepare them – the bonus is that fish on the bone has more flavour. Some whole fish that offer particularly good value are: Australian salmon, mullet, luderick, bight redfish, gemfish, silver warehou, eastern school whiting and garfish.

If you do want to buy fillets, look out for species such as mirror dory, redfish, gemfish, oreodory, morwong, leatherjacket, Australian sardines and albacore.

For great value shellfish, consider cuttlefish (almost identical to squid often at half the price), pipis, vongole and blue mussels. 

This has been a passionate argument between fish lovers since the advent of aquaculture. Everyone has their preferences, but there are a few important things to consider when choosing between wild or farmed fish.

1. Sustainability

While Australian fisheries are exceptionally well-managed, and commercial catch limits are constantly revised to ensure populations remain strong, wild-caught seafood species can still (very rarely) be subject to overfishing.

Aquaculture species never have this problem, as they are grown and harvested according to consumer needs. Some species, such as Murray Cod and Silver Perch, are only available via aquaculture due to the strict management of wild populations, meaning you can be absolutely certain you are making a sustainable choice.

2. Flavour

Some people believe that wild-caught and farmed seafood taste markedly different, and while sometimes this is personal opinion, for some species it is objectively true. Kingfish, for example, are farmed in colder waters than they are naturally caught, and farmed Kingfish is therefore often fattier, and more flavourful, moist and tender.

In general, farmed fish are usually fatter than their wild counterparts due to not having to hunt as hard for their food, so if fattier fish is your preference, you may like them better!

3. Supply and Availability

While wild-caught seafood is subject to any number of outside influences - weather, catch limits, and seasonality being just a few - aquaculture species are generally in consistent supply year-round. This is especially convenient when it comes to busy industry periods like Christmas and Easter, as it ensures there will always be enough prawns to go around, no matter what factors influence the wild-catch sector.

Furthermore, aquaculture allows us access to species that are not naturally found in Australian waters, such as Atlantic Salmon, but are also not imported. It is important to choose Australian whenever you can when it comes to seafood, so this provides a good option if you want to try species that would otherwise come from overseas.


Overall, the best way to figure out whether you prefer wild-caught or farmed seafood is to try both, and decide for yourself!

With such a wide variety of fresh Australian seafood available, it’s always best to be open to substitution in recipes. A particular species may be out of season, making it unavailable, not at its best, or expensive, whereas a similar species, in season, may be a much better (and more economical) choice.

Some cheaper species swaps are listed in this article.

If in doubt, tell your fishmonger how you’re planning on cooking the fish, or what species the recipe calls for, and ask their advice. They work with seafood all year round and probably eats more of it than most people, so they are in a good position to advise.

Note: All the recipes on our Recipes page list alternative species; type ‘Snapper’ into the search box and recipes for Snapper, Blue-eye Trevalla, Bream and several other species will be listed, as Snapper can be substituted for those species in those recipes.

Fresh Australian seafood is largely a product of wild harvest, and its supply is therefore heavily affected by seasons and weather. Prices, by extension, are driven by supply and demand, much more so than prices of shelf-stable commodity foods. 

Most fresh Australian seafood consumed in Sydney is bought through Sydney Fish Market’s daily auction where buyers bid for the fishermen’s catch. If there’s an abundance of a particular species, the price will be lower as there’s enough to go around. But if a species is scarce, the buyers will drive the price higher in an attempt to outbid one another for the little that’s available. Increased demand over Christmas, Easter and other public holidays also therefore drives prices higher.

We have two main species of scallops in Australia: commercial and saucer.

Commercial scallops (previously called king or sea scallops), mainly from Tasmania, have creamy-coloured flesh and are generally sold with their tasty orange roe attached; their ridged, oval shells are pale pinky-red.

Saucer scallops (previously called white or mud scallops), mainly from Queensland and WA, have firmer, whiter flesh; their thin, grey roe is removed when they are opened as it is not very appetising. They’re often sold still attached to their almost-round, smooth, reddish-brown shells.

Whether you like your scallops with the roe on or off is completely up to personal preference. Try both and see what you prefer!

Australian substitutes for some of the most common European fish are: 
Brill – John Dory 
Clam – Vongole, Pipi 
Cod – Murray Cod, Blue-eye Trevalla 
Grouper – Barramundi 
Halibut – Atlantic Salmon 
Langoustine – Prawn, Yabby 
Lobster – Rocklobsters 
Monkfish – Stargazer 
Plaice – Whiting, Flounder 
Sea Bass – Murray Cod, Hapuku 
Sole – Flounder 
Squat Lobster – Bugs 
Turbot – Flounder 

Europe has many large flat fish such as Halibut and Turbot for which there is really no equivalent in Australia, so it’s best to consider the other ingredients and cookery method when choosing a substitute for such fish.

Firm, white-fleshed fish are a popular choice for many recipes as their flavour isn’t as distinctive as pink or red-fleshed fish, like Salmon and Tuna, and their firm texture means they hold together well in all sorts of preparations.

Ling, Blue-eye Trevalla, Swordfish, Emperors, and Mahi Mahi are just some fish with firm, white flesh.

With so many species of fish in the ocean, many can be substituted for one another, which is good news for the cook. If a recipe calls for a species which is unavailable, or too expensive, on the day you’re shopping, tell your fishmonger how you plan to cook it and ask them to suggest a suitable substitute.

Your fishmonger will be able to help you with portion sizes if you tell them how many you are feeding, but if in doubt, use  to figure out how much to buy. 

White-fleshed fish generally have a milder flavour than dark-fleshed fish. Ling, for example, is a good option for kids as it has a mild flavour and very few bones. Other mild-flavoured fish include leatherjacket, flathead, whiting, flounder, sole and dory.

Those who like red meat often enjoy tuna steaks as they have quite a meaty texture and flavour and again, no bones.

Some ingredients can also help to mask fishy flavours, such as ginger in Asian dishes or Mediterranean ingredients such as tomatoes and capsicum.

Monkfish (Lophius piscatorius), also called angler-fish, goosefish, sea devil, rape (Spanish), and lotte (French), is a fish found in the northern hemisphere. It’s rather unattractive, with a little ‘rod’ protruding from the top of its head which it uses to attract small prey while it lays in wait on the bottom of the sea (thus the name angler-fish).

Its thick, meaty white-fleshed tail is highly prized, as the texture resembles Lobster, for which it’s occasionally been substituted by dishonest chefs. Monkfish is not available in the southern hemisphere.

The best substitutes in recipes calling for it are Rocklobster or members of the Stargazer family (Uranoscopidae), which have a similar texture (though not quite as firm).