General Description

Body long, slender, highly compressed, covered in close-set spines; two widely separate dorsal fins, the first a stout four-edged spine with serrate edges, the second minute. Males pale greenish, lighter below with black-edged blue bridle-like stripes in front of the eyes, blue spots on the belly and above the anal fin, and a distinctive black band near the edge of the tail. Females and juveniles are mottled brown often with black spots, sometimes with an indistinct bridled pattern before the eyes. Adult males are distinctive and readily identified by the black-edged blue stripes on the head and mid-side. A small species reaching 14 cm, commonly to 8 cm.

Biology

Juveniles and females are very similar to those of the Toothbrush Leatherjacket (Acantholuteres vittiger) and difficult to identify.

Habitat

Shallow bays and estuaries amongst seagrass beds and macroalgae, in depths of 1-15 m.

Reefs

Seagrass meadows

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Leatherjackets

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

14 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Identify

• Fishes - Leatherjackets

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Not listed