Barramundi is a loanword from an Australian Aboriginal language of the Rockhampton area in Queensland[3] meaning "large-scaled river fish".

[6][7][8] This species has an elongated body form with a large, slightly oblique mouth and an upper jaw extending behind the eye.

Its genome size is about 700 Mb, which was sequenced and published in Animal Genetics (2015, in press) by James Cook University.

This species does not undertake extensive migrations within or between river systems, which has presumably influenced establishment of genetically distinct stocks in Northern Australia.

[citation needed] At the start of the monsoon, males migrate downriver to meet females, which lay very large numbers of eggs (several millions each).

[citation needed] A joint venture between a Sri Lankan company, Oceanpick (Pvt) Ltd, and a Scottish fish farm has been ocean farming barramundi sustainably in Sri Lanka since 2012, using the deep waters of Trincomalee Bay, on the island's northeast coast.

By contrast, the US industry produces about 800 tons a year from a single facility, Australis Aquaculture, LLC.

Barramundi have a mild flavour and a white, flaky flesh, with varying amount of body fat.

Barramundi are a favourite food of the region's apex predator, saltwater crocodiles, which have been known to take them from unwary fishermen.

This has placed economic pressure on Australian producers, both fishers and farmers, whose costs are greater due to remoteness of many of the farming and fishing sites, as well as stringent environmental and food safety standards placed on them by government.

Locally caught chonak (barramundi) is a favourite food, prepared with either recheado (a Goan red masala) or coated with rava (sooji, semolina)[22] and pan fried.

Pla kapong can be seen in aquaria in many restaurants in Thailand, where sometimes this fish is wrongly labelled as "snapper" or "sea bass" on menus.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has deemed US and Vietnam-raised barramundi as "Best Choice" under the Seafood Watch sustainability program.