General Description

Body oblong, moderately deep (elongate in males, deeper in females); ventral flap moderate; head pointed; central pair of teeth in upper jaw truncate, those opposite in lower jaw more pointed; males with a large toothbrush like patch of long bristles on sides, bristles poorly developed in females and juveniles. Males brown to blackish blue, with blue lines and spots, a prominent pale band from eye to bristle patch, tail dusky with pale margin; females yellowish-brown to brown, with scattered pale blotches and dark brown spots on side of body; juvenile similar with a broad white stripe along body. To 32 cm.

Biology

These leatherjackets are abundant along Victorian and Tasmanian coasts.

Distribution

Southern Australia.

Habitat

Juveniles often under floating weed rafts, moving to seagrass beds as they grow, before migrating to deeper reefs.

More Information