Australian salmon or Australasian salmon, also known as kahawai in New Zealand English, are medium-sized perciform marine fish of the small family Arripidae (also spelled Arripididae). Four species are recognized, all within the genus Arripis; they are found in the waters off southern Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Despite the common name, Australian salmon are not related to the salmon (family Salmonidae) of the Northern Hemisphere; the former were named so by early European settlers after their superficial resemblance to the salmoniform fishes.
Relatively long-lived fish, Australian salmon are a favored target of recreational fishers, and both commercial and traditional Māori fisheries; the fish are also common bycatch of the snapper, mullet, trevally, and mackerel fisheries. These species are all taken in great numbers by way of purse seine nets and trawling. They are also caught by artisanal fishermen along the southern coastline of Australia by beach seining. Due to declining numbers and ever-increasing annual catch sizes, the future viability of the Australian salmon stock has been put into question.
The Kahawai (Australian Salmon) goes by other names such as Australian herring, Australian ruff, tommy ruff, Eastern Australian salmon, Western Australian salmo.
