A native of the Northern Hemisphere, it is only available farmed in Australia. It is a versatile fish, hatched and reared in freshwater until 70-100g, then transferred to sea cages in saltwater or estuaries.
It is farmed mainly in south-eastern Tasmania, although there are some inland, freshwater farms in Victoria, primarily to supply roe. In its native habitat it inhabits cold streams, rivers and lakes, draining into the Atlantic Ocean, swimming out into the ocean seasonally and returning to freshwater to spawn.
It was introduced to Australia in the 1960s and aquaculture began in earnest in the mid-1980s. It has a rather short jaw, scattered dark spots on the upper body and a forked, plain dusky grey tail. Fish farmed in saltwater tend to have silvery grey skin, while those farmed in fresh or brackish water tend to be more golden to olive-brown.