Gulf Saratoga are an elongate freshwater fish with a brown to green dorsal area and lighter sides.  They have a single dorsal fin positioned posteriorly, and seven rows of large scales, each with a red or pink spot crescent shaped mark.  The pectoral fins are large and wing-like and the dorsal profile is curved.  The mouth is large and there are chin barbels.

Gulf Saratoga grow to 17kgs and 1 metre in length. 

Gulf Saratoga are catch and release and not considered edible.  They are popular aquarium fish, although they will eat other fish in the tank.

Gulf Saratoga are found from coastal drainages of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, around the Gulf of Carpentaria and southern Papua New Guinea.

Kakadu

Blackspotted Dart have an oval, shiny silver body with a bluish/green dorsal area and up to five small black spots through which the lateral line usually passes.  The front dorsal fin is very short but the rear dorsal and anal fins are long and sweeping at the front.  The tail is deeply forked. 

Blackspotted Dart grow to 2kgs and 54cms. 

They are average eating and need to be bled immediately on capture. 

Blackspotted Dart are found from Lancelin Western Australia, around the tropical north then south to Sydney New South Wales.

Common Dart have a bright silver body with a grey-green to blue dorsal area.  There are 1 - 5 large oval shaped blotches along the top edge of the lateral line, one being located above the pectoral fin.  These spots are absent in specimens less than 15cms, the number of spots increasing with age.  The deeply forked caudal fin, 2nd dorsal and anal fins are dusky to blue-black, the lobes usually darker.

Common Dart grow to 3.4kgs and 74cms in length. 

They are considered average eating. 

Common Dart are found from Bunbury Western Australia, north to the Northern Territory border.  

Guilderton

Swallowtail Dart have a shiny silver body with a bluish green dorsal area and four to six oval blotches, some larger than the eye, along and mainly above the lateral line.  Two blotches are over the pectoral fin, but are absent on fish smaller than 13 cms fork length.  The dorsal fin is set well back and the first dorsal and anal rays are dusky and elongated.  The caudal fin is deeply forked.  The pelvic fins are white and the pectoral fins are pale, sometimes darker towards the tip.

Swallowtail Dart grow to 60cms. 

Average eating and need to be bled immediately on capture. 

Swallowtail Dart are endemic to Australia, commonly occurring from northern Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales including Lord Howe Island.  They are also found on the coast of Western Australia between Rottnest Island and Shark Bay (australianmuseum.net.au)

Wagoe

Also known as Permits and Snubnose Pompano, Snubnose Dart are compressed fish with steep, blunt snouts, an elongated dorsal fin shaped like a scythe and elongated anal fin which is dusky orange often with a brown margin.  Their tails are deeply forked.  There is an orange patch on their bellies, in front of their anal fins. 

They grow to 3.5kgs and 90cms. 

Snubnose Dart are considered to be good eating.

In Australia, Snubnose Dart are found from south west Western Australia, around the tropical north then south to southern New South Wales.  This pelagic species occur in coral reef, inshore and rocky reef habitats in tropical waters. 

Also known as Glass-eyed Perch and False Barra, Sand Bass vary from light silvery grey to dark brown, sometimes with white vertical bars on their body.  The eyes have a glassy appearance with a reddish glow, especially when caught at night.  The lateral line extends onto the caudal fin and they have one large flat spine at the rear of the pre-operculum. 

Sand Bass grow to 47cms in length.

They are considered average to poor eating.

In Australia, Sand Bass are found from Fremantle Western Australia, around the tropical north to southern Queensland, inhabiting rocky or coral reefs, weedy areas, holes and crevices. 

Denham

Also commonly known as Yellowbelly, Golden Perch are deep bodied fish, varying in colour depending on their habitat and water quality.  Colour varies from pale green to cream in muddy waters, to deep green with golden overtones, especially in the throat and belly region.  There are two extended filaments on the ventral fins.  The head is tapered with a distinctly concave forehead and the lower jaw extends slightly beyond the upper jaw.

Golden Perch grow to 24.5kgs and 76cms in length.

Golden Perch are widely found in Australian freshwaters, having been introduced into southern Western Australia and the Northern Territory.  They are found through the great Murray-Darling river system in central and southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Longfin Perch females are pink to red and males are pinkish with yellow spots and a large dark blotch on the rear of the dorsal fin.  The dorsal fin is long-based and the caudal fin is emarginate.  The pointed pectoral fins are longer than the head. 

Longfin Perch grow to 58cms in length. 

They are very good table fish. 

In Australia, Longfin Perch are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, around the southern coast and up to southern Queensland. 

Often confused with Butterfly Perch (Caesioperca lepidoptera), Barber Perch can be recognised by their colouring. Males are yellowish to silvery with either blue iridescent lines and markings behind the eye or a more intense blue lined body pattern.   Females and juveniles are pale pink to brownish orange with a blue line below the eye. There are one or two black blotches on the body. 

Barber Perch grow to 26cms in length. 

Commonly kept as aquarium fish. 

Barber Perch are found from Albany Western Australia, south around to Wilson's Promontory Victoria, including Tasmania. 

Also known as Crescent Grunter and Spiky Trumpeter, Crescent Perch are pale brownish on the back and cream below and with a dark head.  There are 3 - 4 curved dark brown bands crossing the body horizontally, the lowest one continuing into the middle of the tail.  There are other stripes across the tail and a large blotch on the first dorsal fin.

Crescent Perch grow to 1.2kgs and 36cms in length. 

They can be eaten.

In Australia, Crescent Perch are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, around the tropical north then south to southern Queensland, in coastal waters and lower reaches of freshwater streams.

Also known as Black and White Snapper, adult Black and White Sea Perch are dark grey to almost black with a pattern of interlocking elongated dark spots over a lighter face. The mouth is large and there is a deep notch on the lower edge of the preoperculum. 

Juveniles have a black bar through the eye, black pectoral fins and a black stripe from the pectoral region to the lower caudal lobe. Sometimes there can be 3 to 6 white spots on the back. 

Black and White Sea Perch grow to 75cms. 

They are considered very good eating.

In Australia, Black and White Sea Perch are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, around the tropical north to southern Queensland, in waters 2 - 90 metres feeding on fish and crustaceans.

Banded Sea Perch have variable body colour from cream to green or red. They have four thick dark vertical bands, many brown spots and bulging eyes on the top of the head. There is a yellow spot at the base of the pectoral fin and a dark blotch just below the lateral line under the middle dorsal fin.

Banded Sea Perch grow to 30cms. 

They are considered good eating. 

Banded Sea Perch are endemic to Australia, occurring from northern NSW, south including Tasmania, to south western Western Australia. 

Redfin Perch are olive to greyish/green on the back fading to silver sides and a white belly. There are five or more dark vertical tapering bands which may join each other forming y shaped bands, and a distinct black blotch at the rear of the first dorsal fin.  The spiny and soft dorsal fins are large giving the redfin a striking appearance when entirely fanned. The pelvic, anal and tail fins are red to orange/red in colour.  They have a humped back behind the head, a large mouth and a slightly forked caudal fin.

They commonly grow to 2.5kgs and 45cm in length. 

The larger fish are reasonable eating and it is easier to skin them than scale them. Do not release these fish back into the water as they are an introduced pest. 

In Australia, Redfin Perch are found around south west Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, south eastern South Australia and Tasmania.

Also known outside WA as Black Bream, Sooty Grunter vary in colour with location and age.  They are generally black or brownish grey with darker scale margins on the upper back and sides.  Some may be golden bronze.  The belly area is light grey to silver and the fins are dark grey to black.  Some Sooty Grunter have lighter pelvic and anal fins.  They have a small head with a concave snout and a deep powerful body.  They often have 'blubber' lips.

Juveniles have a dark blotch on the soft dorsal and anal fins.

Sooty Grunter grow to 4kgs and 50cms in length.

They are considered very poor eating.

Sooty Grunter are endemic to northern Australia, found throughout coastal drainages of the Northern Territory, Gulf of Carpentaria and north eastern Queensland, in larger flowing streams.

Also known as Rosy Snapper and Crimson Jobfish, Rosy Jobfish are elongate and robust fish, reddish brown in colour which is more pronounced above the lateral line.  The long pectoral fins are light in colour and reach the anus.  The dorsal and caudal fins are light coloured with a fine reddish margin.  The last soft rays of the dorsal and anal fins have an extended filament.  The caudal fin is forked.  The lower jaw is protruding. 

Rosy Jobfish grow to 8kgs and 1 metre in length. 

They are good eating. 

In Australia, Rosy Jobfish are found from the Abrolhos Islands Western Australia around the tropical north and then south to southern Queensland. 

Rusty Jobfish vary in colour from reddish orange to mauve to blue-grey.  They are an elongate fish with a large lunate reddish tail.  The dorsal fin is long based and yellowish to red in colour.  The pectoral fins are long and red and the pelvic and anal fins have fine white margins.  The mouth is large and the lower jaw protrudes.  The margin of the maxilla is black. 

Rusty Jobfish grow to 12kgs and 1 metre in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

In Australia Rusty Jobfish are found off north west Western Australia and northern Queensland. 

Smalltooth Jobfish are red to purplish brown along the dorsal area, blue-grey along the sides and silvery on the belly, with a silvery sheen.   The pectoral and caudal fins are red.  The last soft ray of the anal and dorsal fins extend in an elongated filament and the tail is deeply forked with pointed tips. The lower jaw is protruding. 

Smalltooth Jobfish grow to 70cms in length. 

They are considered very good eating. 

In Australia, Smalltooth Jobfish are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, north around to southern Queensland. 

Also known as Sharptooth Snapper and often confused with Goldband Jobfish, Sharptooth Jobfish have similar elongated bodies and are rosy pink to reddish above the lateral line with silver sides and belly.  They have longitudinal broken yellow lines on their head and snout but do not have the golden stripes below their eyes like Goldband.  The dorsal fin has wavy yellow lines and the caudal fin is forked. 

They grow to 2.2kgs and 75cms in length.

Sharptooth Jobfish are considered very good eating. 

In Australia, Sharptooth Jobfish are found from north west Western Australia, around the tropical north to Tweed Heads New South Wales, on rocky bottoms between 40-100m depth.

Green Jobfish are dark green to blue to bluish grey in colour fading to a pale belly and may have darkish patches along the dorsal fin.   There is a distinct horizontal groove in front of the eye.  The last ray of the dorsal and anal fins elongate to form a short filament.  They have long and very sharp teeth. 

Green Jobfish grow to 15kgs and 1.1 metres in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

In Australia Green Jobfish are found from central Western Australia around the tropical north to northern New South Wales. 

Also known as Goldband Snapper and often confused with Sharptooth Snapper, Goldband Jobfish have yellowish to pink upper backs fading to a silver belly.  The top of the head has a series of gold bands and the side of the snout and cheek has two or three distinct golden stripes bordered with blue below the eyes.  The lower jaw protrudes slightly.  The dorsal fin is covered with yellow stripes or spots, the pectoral fins are long and the caudal fin is forked. 

Goldband Jobfish grow up to 6kgs and 90cms in length. 

They are excellent eating. 

Goldband Jobfish are found in sub tropical and tropical waters off north west Western Australia, the Northern Territory and northern Queensland. 

Tang's Snapper are a golden brown colour above the lateral line and silver below.  The large mouth has a distinct fleshy protrusion behind the upper lip.  The pectoral fins are pale yellow and long, reaching the level of the anus.  The scale rows on the back are parallel to the lateral line.  The caudal fin is forked.  They are sometimes confused with Goldband Jobfish.

Tang's Snapper grow to 80 cms in length.

They are considered good eating.

In Australia, Tang's Snapper are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, north to the Gulf of Carpentaria, over the rocky bottoms of the continental shelf.

Exmouth

Ruby Snapper are elongate fish with red upper back and a pink to white belly.  The head is relatively small with large eyes.  They have a forked caudal fin with the lower lobe being edged in white. 

They grow to around 1.2 metres in length. 

Ruby Snapper are considered good eating. 

In Australia Ruby Snapper are found from north west Western Australia, around the tropical north to southern Queensland, and occasionally further south.   They inhabit rocky offshore reefs, usually between 90-300m depth. 

Pink Snapper are usually pink to brown on the upper sides and silver below. The body is covered by small blue spots which are most obvious in small fish.  Old fish, known as Old Man Snapper, develop a prominent hump on the top of the head.  The hump develops in both sexes but is more prominent in males. 

They grow up to 25kgs and 1.3 metres in length. 

Pink Snapper are excellent eating, arguably the most popular fish in Australia. 

In Australia they are found from southern Queensland, south around Australia's coast and up to the central coast of Western Australia. 

Also known as Bight Redfish, Red Snapper are deep bodied fish with a red upper back fading to a silver belly, six dorsal spines and a very obvious white lateral line.  All fins are edged with white.  The eye is red.   The tail is forked but not so deeply as the Swallowtail and the head is less rounded than the true Nannygai (Centroberyx affinis).

They grow to 4.6kgs and 66cms in length. 

Red Snapper are considered excellent eating. 

They are endemic to Australia and are found from Lancelin Western Australia, south around to Bass Strait, northern Tasmania, in waters to 300 metres.

In Western Australia also referred to as Nannygai (Centroberyx affinis), although true Nannygai only occur on the south-east coast of Australia. 

Yellow-eye Red Snapper are red with distinguishing yellow eyes.  The pelvic fins are pale, the pectoral fins are almost transparent and the forked tail has a broad intense red stripe on each lobe. Like Red Snapper, these fish also have 6 dorsal spines.  True Nannygai have 7 dorsal spines. 

Yellow-eye Red Snapper grow to 32cms in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

In Australia they are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, south around to the South Australian/Victorian border, in deep offshore waters.

Flame Snapper have a long slender body with deep pink to red upper sides fading to silver on the lower sides and belly.  The head is small with large eyes, a short snout and the lower jaw protrudes.  The fins are pink to red.  The caudal fin is deeply forked and as the fish ages, the upper tail lobe elongates. 

They grow to 1.2 metres in length. 

Flame Snapper are a good eating fish. 

In Australia, Flame Snapper are found off north west Australia, north around to northern New South Wales. 

True Nannygai are moderately deep bodied fish, coloured silver and orange to bright red with pale spots on the scales forming stripes. They have a large head with serrated opercular and pre-opercular ridges, large reddish eyes, a rounded snout and an oblique mouth extending back to the posterior margin of the eye. There are no pale fin margins and the caudal fin is deeply forked.  They have a single dorsal fin and can be identified from other similar species by their 7 dorsal spines. 

They grow to 51cms in length. 

Nannygai are considered good eating. 

In Australia, Nannygai are only found from southern Queensland to northern Tasmania. 

  photo australianmuseum.net.au

Also known as Swallowtail Nannygai, Swallowtail have a red upper body with silver sides and belly.  They are easily identified by their long swallow like tail. They do not have the white lateral line visible on Red Snapper.  They have a large, oblique mouth and large eyes.  

Swallowtail grow to 1kg and 46cms in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

In Australia, Swallowtail are found from Lancelin Western Australia, south around to southern NSW but not including Tasmania, commonly seen over reefs. 

Also known as Bubblefin Wrasse, male Diamond Wrasse are pale green dorsally with a pale belly with 5 - 7 interconnected reddish brown bars.  There are black and yellow spots on the dorsal fin and yellow corners to the caudal fin.  There is a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fins on both male and females.  Juveniles have a black spot on the soft dorsal fin.

(australianmuseum.net.au refer to Bluespotted Wrasse -Anampses caeruleopunctatus-as Diamond Wrasse.)

Diamond Wrasse grow to 20cms. 

In Australia, Diamond Wrasse are found from Rottnest Island Western Australia, around the tropical north to Queensland, then south to Merimbula New South Wales, in shallow weedy areas of rocky shorelines.

Also known as Surge Wrasse and Green Blocked Wrasse, the elongate male Red and Green Wrasse is blue to bluish green with reddish pink to purple horizontal stripes.  Males grow much larger than females.  Females are distinguished by a V mark on the snout.  There are two oblique red bars from the eye across the operculum.  The dorsal and anal fins are green with red bands along the base. 

Juvenile Red and Green Wrasse are green with red horizontal markings.

Red and Green Wrasse grow to 1.2kgs and 46cms in length.

They are considered reasonable eating.

In Australia, Red and Green Wrasse are found from Rottnest Island Western Australia, around the tropical north to Noosa, Queensland.  They are found almost exclusively in the surge zone of outer reef flats, reef margins and rocky coastlines to a depth of 10 metres.

Female Seven-Banded Wrasse are identified by seven broad dark bars across their side and a bright yellow colour on their pectoral fin base.   Males are uniformly dark with yellow on the pectoral fin base.

Seven-Banded Wrasse grow to 31cms in length. 

They are generally considered to be below average eating quality. 

Seven-Banded Wrasse are found only in Western Australia between Rottnest Island and Coral Bay. 

Female

Male

Western King Wrasse pass through several colour changes as they grow.  Male Western King Wrasse are deep pink/red in colour with a wide cream vertical stripe running halfway up the body behind the pectoral fin.  Adult females are cream to red with a red horizontal stripe extending through the eye to the base of the tail.  Juveniles and females set up cleaning stations to remove skin parasites from other fish.

Juveniles have two horizontal black stripes.  The upper one changes to red and the lower one disappears on maturity.

Western King Wrasse grow to 40cms in length. 

As with all fish, eating quality depends on individual tastes.  The flesh is soft, white and bland.  They are considered good bait for dhufish.

In Australia, Western King Wrasse are found from Coral Bay, south to the Recherche Archipelago Esperance in Western Australia, in offshore waters preferring areas of reef and sand. 

female

Also known as Napoleon and Giant Wrasse, Humpheaded Maori Wrasse have a solid, oval-elongate bluish/grey to olive body fading to a lighter belly area. Each scale has a vertical darker bar edged with cream which forms a series of wavy lines down the body. They have distinctive dark markings around the eyes surrounded by lighter intricate patterns on the face, lips and gills. Adults have a large prominent bump on their forehead, and massive lips. 

These are the giants of wrasse and grow up to 200kgs and 2 metres. 

They are a protected species.  Catch and release. 

In Australia, they are found from NW Western Australia, then north around the tropical coast and along the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef Queensland. 

Tripletail Maori Wrasse are green to olive with irregular orange/pinkish or red lines and small orange pink dots on their head and chest.  There are pinkish-red wiggly lines radiating away from the eye and each body scale has a vertical orange/pink line, forming vertical lines.  In mature fish, the upper and lower rays of the tail lengthen and the centre of the tail forms into a distinct lobe, giving the appearance of three tails.  There is a white band on the caudal peduncle and another on the base of the caudal fin.  The pectoral fins are yellow.

Tripletail Maori Wrasse grow to 45cms in length. 

They are considered reasonable eating. 

In Australia, Tripletail Maori Wrasse are found from north west Western Australia, north around the tropical coast to the Great Barrier Reef Queensland. 

Exmouth

Often mistaken for the Lunar Wrasse, adult male Green Moon Wrasse are blue/green and just behind the pectoral fin the body turns to blue before going back to green-yellow at the tail. The pectoral fin is both yellow and blue and they have pink irregular lines over the head area. 

Juvenile green moon wrasse display different colours before maturing into an adult. 

Green Moon Wrasse grow to 30cms. 

Often kept for an aquarium, they grow to be big fish and need room to swim and forage. They also cannot be trusted with any small inverts or fish which will be harrassed and eaten. 

In Australia Green Moon Wrasse are found from sw to nw Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef Queensland to the central coast of NSW. 

Also known as Blue-spotted Wrasse, Brownspotted Wrasse males are reddish brown to brown and abundantly covered with brown to orange spots.  There may be a white line along the side.  During breeding, males develop glowing orange spots over the body and a dark band becomes visible over the head, curving from the corner of the mouth back through the eye.  There is a light coloured area on the chin and an orangey margin on the anal fin.  After death the spots on the male change to a dull blue.  

Female and juvenile Brownspotted Wrasse have a variety of colours based around brown, grey/green and green, closely mottled and speckled with dark brown, and white spots along the lateral line. There are irregular markings radiating out from the eyes.  The pectoral fins are yellow.

Brownspotted wrasse grow to 1.1kgs and 50cms in length.

They are considered poor eating. 

Brownspotted wrasse are endemic to Australia and found from Shark Bay Western Australia, south around to Victor Harbour South Australia, in coastal reef and weed areas.

Female, Australind

Female

Senator Wrasse males are green with two deep purple longitudinal stripes, the upper behind the head and reaching the tail and the lower starting behind the pectoral fin.  A dark triangle shape drops from the lower stripe behind the pectoral fin. 

Females and Juveniles are reddish to brown, mottled with black spots over the back and upper sides.  There are four or more dark bars under the short midlateral line. 

Senator Wrasse grow to 600gms and 33cms in length. 

They are considered poor eating.

Senator Wrasse are endemic to Australia and found from the Abrolhos Islands Western Australia, south around the coast, including Tasmania, and up to Byron Bay New South Wales. 

   female

Maori Wrasse are identified by the Maori like blue-lined pattern on the adult's head and the red to orange-brown band along the dorsal area, above a white band on the side.  Males have a charcoal grey stripe along their side under the white band and bright blue spots while females have neither. 

Maori Wrasse grow to 40cms in length. 

They are not highly regarded as a food fish, however can be eaten. 

In Australia Maori Wrasse are found on two coasts, from the Abrolhos Islands Western Australia south around to Kangaroo Island South Australia, and then from Wilson's Promontory Victoria north to Byron Bay New South Wales. 

Also known as Sharpnose Wrasse, Cigar Wrasse are slender, cylindrical shaped fish with a round tail.  Their colouration is variable but is usually mottled brown, green or yellow on the upper half, with a pale lower half.  Each scale is edged in white and creates a lattice effect.  Large males develop an irregular pink to orange patch behind the pectoral fin.  There are pink to orange squiggles on the lower head and the chin area is blue.  The snout is long and sharp. 

Juveniles and females may have a narrow dark stripe along the side of the body. 

Cigar Wrasse grow to 50cms in length.

They are considered good eating.  They are also popular in the aquarium trade although they are semi-agressive.

In Australia, Cigar Wrasse are found from Lancelin Western Australia, around the tropical north, then south to central New South Wales and are often seen in shallower areas of algae and seagrass.

Male Threespot Wrasse are green to yellow on their back fading to a white belly.  There are short, vertical pinkish bars on the scale edges.  The head and cheeks have mauve to pink bars, each edged finely in blue.  There is a small black spot at the upper base of the pectoral fin, a second black mark at the start of the lateral line and a large black spot surrounded by yellow  on the upper base of the caudal peduncle, hence Threespot.   The caudal fin may be entirely yellow.

Female Threespot Wrasse are overall pale with a spot on the upper tail base. 

Threespot Wrasse grow to 27cms in length. 

They are popular fish for the aquarium trade.

In Australia, Threespot Wrasse are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, around the tropical north, then south to northern New South Wales, in waters to 30 metres over sand and rubble near coral reefs and in lagoons.

Greencheek Parrotfish males have a blue body with a yellow head above the eyes and bright blue below with yellow marking around the mouth.  The pectoral fins are blue and the dorsal, anal and tail fins are pale blue with yellow lines.  Females are dark brown with numerous small white spots on their side and reddish fins. 

Greencheek Parrotfish grow to 70cms in length. 

They are good eating. 

In Australia, Greencheek Parrotfish are found off north west Western Australia and far northern Australia. 

Bluebarred Parrotfish colours vary between males, females and juveniles but can even vary greatly within those.  Male fish are blue dorsally, have a bright blue bar on each scale and some yellow on the sides.   There are brilliant turquoise bars beneath the mouth and three bars behind and below the eye.  The pectoral, dorsal and anal fins are yellow with bright blue margins.  The tail is emarginate (slightly hollow).  Females are dull yellow with blue scales forming indistinct bars.  There is a blue line running from the edge of the mouth under the eye.

The distinguishing feature of all parrotfish are the teeth which in both jaws are fused into a parrot-like beak. 

Bluebarred Parrotfish grow to 6.5kgs and 1 metre in length. 

They are excellent eating. 

In Australia, Bluebarred Parrotfish are found from north-west Western Australia, around the tropical north to Queensland, and south to southern New South Wales. 

Also known as Red-lip and Ember Parrotfish, Blackvein Parrotfish vary greatly in colour from male to female and from juvenile to adult.  Males are recognised by their blunt snout and are turquoise with a green patch on the first half of the body.  The tail is blue with pink to red lines.  The long dorsal fin is yellow with a green edge.  There are two pink to red markings under the mouth.  The front teeth are fused into powerful beaks which are used for collecting algae from coral. 

Females can vary from purple to green and are flushed with pink on the face and underbelly and with dark mottled patterning.   All fins are flushed with pink.

Blackvein Parrotfish grow to 70cms in length.

They are considered good eating.

In Australia, Blackvein Parrotfish are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, around the tropical north, and south to the southern Great Barrier Reef Queensland.

Commonly known as Bluebone, Blackspot Tuskfish can vary in colour from vivid blue to green to olive.  Their scales have a bright blue-green vertical bar and there are irregular horizontal lines on the tail.  There is a diagnostic black spot at the base of the middle of the dorsal fin.  They have well developed tusk like teeth. 

Juveniles are usually yellow bodied with a blue tail and have a large white saddle following the black spot. 

Blackspot Tuskfish grow to 15.5kgs and 1 metre in length. 

They are excellent eating. 

In Australia, Venus Tuskfish are found from North West Cape Western Australia, north around the tropical waters, Queensland, and south to Evans Head in northern New South Wales. 

Bluespotted Tuskfish females are yellow and the males are greenish yellow.  They both have a black blotch below the middle of the dorsal spine and at the front of the dorsal fin.  There are several blue lines radiating from the eye and two darkish stripes running across the snout and operculum to the pectoral fin.  The body scales have a blue bar and the tail has horizontal bright blue stripes. 

Bluespotted Tuskfish have been recorded at 43.3cms in length. 

They are excellent eating.

Bluespotted Tuskfish are endemic to Western Australia and are found from the Abrolhos Islands north. 

Male

Venus Tuskfish vary in colour from green to pale blue to pink and brick red on the upper back but usually all have bright red sides, especially around the pectoral fins, fading to a creamy belly.  There are large bright blue spots distributed over the head and body. 

Venus Tuskfish grow to 5kgs and 65cms in length.

They are considered very good eating.

Venus Tuskfish are endemic to Australia being found in tropical waters from southern Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales. 

Baldchin Groper can vary in colour from yellowish/brown to pinkish/grey to greenish/blue for large males.  They are identified by their prominent white chin.  They have a short head with a blunt snout and eyes set well above the mouth, which contains protruding tusk-like teeth in both jaws.  The pectoral fins are yellow. 

Juveniles are orange in colour. 

Baldchin Groper grow to 7kgs and 70cms in length. 

They are excellent eating. 

Baldchin Groper are endemic to Western Australia, south from Geographe Bay (Dunsborough) north to Coral Bay. 

juvenile

Barracuda have two pairs of enlarged canine teeth on the upper jaw and one pair of enlarged canines on the lower jaw. There are other large backward pointing teeth in both jaws. The barracuda body is long and cylindrical with dark grey or green backs with between 18 and 24 short, vertical stripes above the lateral line. There are often irregular dark blotches on the fish's sides, mainly towards the tail. The scalloped tail fin is sometimes tinged with yellow or edged in black. 

Barracuda grow to 30kgs and 1.7metres long. 

They are generally considered eating quality - grey, coarse and strong smelling flesh with large specimens being a ciguatera risk in known ciguatera locations. 

In Australia, Barracuda are found north of the Tropic of Capricorn although occasionally they have been found as far south as Perth and Sydney. 

Pickhandle Barracuda are silver with dark bars crossing the lateral line. The bars are angled above the lateral line but vertical below. The tail fin is large, deeply forked and dusky yellow. 

Pickhandle Barracuda grow to 11.5kgs and 1.5metres. 

In Australia Pickhandle Barracuda are found from the central coast of Western Australia around the tropical north, then south to the southern coast of NSW. 

Wahoo are a long, sleek pelagic species coloured bright blue on their back with a silvery blue belly and over 24 cobalt blue vertical stripes. The long dorsal fin of even height starts behind the commencement of the pectoral fin and the head is long and pointed with a scissor like jaw action with razor sharp teeth. The lower jaw protrudes beyond the movable upper jaw. 

Wahoo grow to 70kgs and 2.1 metres in length.

They are considered very good eating. 

In Australia, Wahoo are generally found from Kalbarri Western Australia, around the tropical north to Queensland and south to Montague Island New South Wales.  However wahoo have also been caught as far south as Rottnest Island WA.  

Oriental Bonito are streamlined, solid fish with a number of blackish stripes running along the back and upper sides. The body is blue/green on its back and silvery grey on the belly. They have strong, curved and sharp teeth. 

Oriental Bonito have no stripes on the lower half of the body, which identifies them  from Australian Bonito (Sarda australis) which are found on the east coast. 

Oriental Bonito grow to 3.5kgs and 1 metre in length.

Bonito are not considered good eating and are usually used as bait for game fishing. 

In Australia, Oriental Bonito are found from the Great Australian Bight, north to Shark Bay in Western Australia. 

Watson's Leaping Bonito have a light silver blue belly with several grey stripes and a deep blue back covered with elongated spots.  The first dorsal fin is black and second dorsal fin and anal fin are yellow.  The mouth is large with the upper jaw reaching to the hind margin of the eye. 

Watson's Leaping Bonito grow 1.2kgs and 54cms in length. 

They are average eating. 

In Australia, Watson's Leaping Bonito are found from Geographe Bay Western Australia around the northern coast and south to New South Wales. 

Horsehoe Leatherjacket are colourful fish with a varying base colour of yellowish green to dark green.  There are often blue spots behind the eye and along the body.  There is a distinct dark horseshoe shaped mark on the side.  The male usually has a black band on the head.  The caudal peduncle has four spines on each side, large in males and smaller in females and juveniles.

Horseshoe Leatherjacket grow to 64cms in length.

Leatherjackets are generally considered to be good eating. 

Horseshoe Leatherjacket are found from the Abrolhos Islands Western Australia, then south around the southern coast to Wilson's Promontory Victoria and including northern Tasmania.  They are reasonably common on coastal reefs.  

Unicorn Leatherjacket are large, ovate shaped, pale brown to grey fish mottled with brown spots on the upper sides.  The snout is convex in adults.  The dorsal and anal fins are pale yellow to light brown and the caudal fin is brown.  The dorsal fin spine is thin and easily broken.

Unicorn Leatherjacket grow to 3kgs and 75cms in length. 

They are considered good table fare. 

In Australia, Unicorn Leatherjacket are found from south west Western Australia, around the tropical north, and south to central New South Wales. 

Also known as Scrawled Leatherjacket, Scribbled Leatherjacket have an elongated, compressed body which may be grey or brown to dark brown with bright blue lines and blue and black spots. The long snout is slightly concave, both above and below and the mouth is small and upturned. The tail fin is rounded and large.

Juvenile fish may be yellowish brown with dark spots. Scribbled Leatherjacket grow to 2.5kgs and 1 metre in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

In Australia, Scribbled Leatherjacket are found from south west Western Australia, around the tropical north and then south to southern New South Wales. 

Six-Spine Leatherjacket have a variable base colour, males being usually blue with yellow blotches and females being pale green, yellow or brown, sometimes with three to five broad brown stripes.  They are identified by the scribble pattern in bright blue or brown on the head and front part of the body and usually six spines on each side of the caudal peduncle, which are longer in the male.  The dorsal and anal fins are yellow .

Juveniles have a base colour from green to yellow, yellow dorsal and anal fins and the six spines on their caudal peduncle are smaller than found in the male. They usually have several dark stripes along the side of their bodies. 

Six-Spine Leatherjacket grow to 2-3 kgs in weight and 60 cms in length.

Leatherjacket in general are considered good eating. 

Six-Spine Leatherjacket are endemic to Australia, found from Jurien Bay Western Australia, around the southern coast to northern New South Wales.   They are found on coastal and offshore reefs to depths of 50m or more.

Also known as Yellow Leatherjacket, Chinaman Leatherjacket are generally sandy brown or reddish brown and have few markings. They are recognised by their unusually long head, elongated body and small mouth with beak like extremely strong teeth. They are one of the largest leatherjacket, the males generally having a deeper body than females. 

Juvenile and female Chinaman Leatherjacket have horizontal darkish stripes along their body. 

Chinaman Leatherjacket grow to 3kgs and 75cms in length. 

Their flesh is firm and white and they are considered good eating. 

Chinaman Leatherjacket are endemic to Australia and are found along the southern coastline from southern Queensland to central Western Australia. 

  juvenile

Male Bluespotted Leatherjacket are pale bluish grey with a distinctive pattern of brownish stripes on the head and body.  The anterior end of the dorsal and anal fins are slightly elongated.  There are two pairs of spines on the caudal peduncle and the caudal fin is elongated.  Females are brown with blue to whitish spots on the side.

Bluespotted Leatherjacket grow to 38cms in length.

They are considered very good eating.

Bluespotted Leatherjacket are endemic to Western Australia and found from Rottnest Island north to Broome, in waters from 22 - 82 metres.

female

Also known as Prickly Leatherjacket, Tasselled Leatherjacket are deep, compressed fish coloured brown with a series of black lines on the head and body and often with bright blue spots and lines on the body.  Two black blotches may be present on the side of the body, above the pectoral fin base.  The body has skin flaps, a large caudal fin and a strong first dorsal fin spine.  The eyes are high on the head and the snout is tapered and projecting.  There are specialised incisor teeth on the upper jaw, four on the inner jaw and six on the outer jaw. 

Tasselled Leatherjacket grow to 31cms in length.

They are considered very good eating.

In Australia, Tasselled Leatherjacket are found from south-west Western Australia, around the tropical north, then south to central New South Wales.

Also known as Black Drummer, Western Rock Blackfish are grey to brownish black but can quickly change from a uniform colour to a blotchy colouration with irregular blue spots.  They have solid bodies and powerful broad tails. The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are broad and rounded and the dorsal fin stretches back to the caudal peduncle. The eye is distinctively blue in adults, dark brown in juveniles. 

Western Rock Blackfish grow to 9kgs and 60cms in length. 

They are considered average eating. 

Western Rock Blackfish are found only in Western Australia, from Carnarvon south to the Recherche Archipelago. 

Adult with blue eye

Juvenile with brown eye, Bremer Bay

Hapuku/hapuka are heavy bodied, square tailed fish coloured steel blue above and silver below, the two colours sharply separated rather than blending.  There is a distinctive bony ridge horizontal to the upper edge of the gill cover.  The lower jaw of the large mouth, which gapes back beyond the rear border of the eye, protrudes well forward of the upper jaw, and the distinctive pointed snout identify this species. 

Hapuku reach 70kgs and 1.8metres in length and some live longer than 60 years. 

They are often confused with the bass groper (polyprion moeone) but minor variations in colour and fin-spine length differentiate the species. 

They are excellent eating, well textured and flavoursome. 

Hapuku are found from Rottnest Island WA, south around to Sydney New South Wales (including Tasmania) in continental slope depths of 100-640 metres.  In Western Australia Hapuku are caught mainly on the edge of the continental shelf, along the south coast.

Bass Groper are very similar to Hapuku (Polyprion oxygenios).  Bass Groper range in colour from pinkish brown to dark grey to steely blue and sometimes have silvery blotches.  In comparison to Hapuku, Bass Groper have a deeper body, the eye is larger and the lower jaw does not jut prominently forward like the Hapuku.  

Bass Groper grow to 100kgs and 2 metres in length.

They are excellent table fish.

In Australia, Bass Groper are found around the southern coast in deep offshore waters of 200 - 800 metres.

Western Blue Groper are brilliant cobalt blue with yellow spots around the eyes. They are identified by their large size, fleshy lips, heavy scales and peg like teeth. Female Western Blue Groper are greenish grey.

All Western Blue Groper start life as green females and some change sex to the distinctive blue males at an age between 25-35 years.  Western Blue Groper are members of the Wrasse family (Labridae) and live to 70 years of age.

Western Blue Groper grow to 40kgs and 1.6 metres in length. 

Small groper up to 5kgs are good eating but any larger are dry and coarse and should be released. 

Western Blue Groper are found from the Houtmann Abrolhos Western Australia, around the southern coast to Port Phillip Bay Victoria, in waters 5 - 65 metres deep.

female

Queensland Groper can be green, grey, brown to almost black in colour, often with lighter coloured mottling and with numerous small dark spots on the fins. The eye is relatively small and they have a large mouth and a large rounded caudal fin. 

Juveniles have distinctive yellow patterned fins. 

Queensland Groper grow to 300kgs and 2.7 metres in length. 

They are a protected species. 

In Australia, Queensland Groper are found from Rottnest Island Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to the southern coast of New South Wales. 

Blue-eye Trevalla have a bluish/grey back fading to a pale grey belly with dark metallic grey fins. They are stout bodied with a blunt snout, small scales and large deep blue eyes with a gold ring. The mouth is large and the head has many small pores. They have two dorsal fins, the first has short, stout spines and is joined by membrane to the base of the second dorsal fin, which is higher and longer based. The tail fin is forked. 

Blue-eye Trevalla grow to 40kgs and 1.4 metres in length. 

They are considered very good eating.

In Australia, Blue-eye Trevalla are found from south west Western Australia, south around to southern Queensland, including Tasmania. 

Barramundi Cod are pale grey to brown and covered with black spots which are usually larger on the body than on the head and fins. There are about 9 large dusky blotches on the body with some extending partly into the base of the dorsal and anal fins. There is a noticeable hump to the back which makes the head look much smaller than it is. The eyes are very close to the mouth and there is a steep rise to the dorsal fins, which are long. There may be yellow colouring to the dorsal and tail fins. 

Juveniles have fewer but larger black spots and can take on an almost pearlescent glow. 

Barramundi Cod grow to about 70cms. 

They are good eating. 

In Australia, Barramundi Cod are found from the Abrolhos Islands Western Australia around the tropical north and as far south as Sydney New South Wales. 

Also known as Blackarse, Breaksea cods' colour varies and can be yellowish with pink markings on the head, to pink or green or dark brown with dusky black fins. The eye is a bright red and the anus has a large black spot, leading to the common name, Blackarse. Breaksea Cod have a deeper body than other rockcods of similar length. 

Breaksea Cod grow to 60cms in length. 

They are excellent eating. 

Breaksea Cod are only found in Western Australia, from the Recherche Archipelago Esperance to Shark Bay. 

Tailor are streamlined silver fish with a blue/green dorsal area fading to a silver to white belly. They have a moderately forked tail which is usually darker than the other fins. The eye can be yellow and they have sharp teeth. 

Tailor can grow to 13kgs and 1.2metres in length. 

They have oily greyish flesh (omega 3) and are good eating if killed and bled immediately after capture. They are delicious smoked. They are also excellent bait fish. 

Tailor are found from Quobba Western Australia around the southern coast (including Tasmania) and north to Fraser Island Queensland. 

Western Butterfish are silvery-white with a distinctive curved blackstripe bordered by pale blue lines, extending from the snout through the tail, which is yellow.  The pelvic fins are moderately long reaching to or just before the level of the anus.  The lobes of the caudal fin are equal in length.

Western Butterfish grow to 31cms in length. 

They are considered average eating.

Western Butterfish are found only in Western Australia, from Geographe Bay north to the Dampier Archipelago, inhabiting sea grass beds and reef areas and near shore rocky bottoms of coastal bays.

Silver Spot are moderately elongated fish and can be coloured reddish yellow to reddish brown with irregular dark blotches along the back and smaller blotches below and dark spots on the fins.  There is a silver spot on the tip of the gill cover which flashes as it breathes.  The dorsal fin is long based and the membrane between the spines is deeply notched.  The head is distinctively concave above the eyes, which are large.

Silver Spot grow to 40 cms in length.

In Australia, Silver Spot are found from south-west Western Australia around the southern coast to southern New South Wales, in temperate waters.

Perth

Western Smooth Boxfish are whitish-pale brown with a brownish tinge near the dorsal area and large dark spots over the back and sides.  The small fins are clear.  They have a very small mouth.  The caudal fin is dark with a darker margin and the caudal peduncle is completely encircled by bony plates.  Their skin lacks scales.

Juveniles and females are paler with fewer spots.  Large males have pale blue fins and belly.

Western Smooth Boxfish grow to 39 centimetres.

They are not recommended eating as some species contain toxins which are considred dangerous to humans. They are also not recommended as bait.

Endemic to Australia, Western Smooth Boxfish are found from Shark Bay around the southern coast to the Great Australian Bight, South Australia, in rocky reefs and seagrass areas in depths to 100 metres.

female

White-barred Boxfish males are bright orange and white while females and juveniles are pale with black markings. They have a protective covering of large, thick joined scale plates which create an armour for protection. 

White-barred Boxfish grow to 30cms in length. 

White-barred Boxfish flesh is poison. 

They are found from Beagle Island Western Australia south to east South Australia. 

juvenile

Also known as Yellow Emperor, Barred Soapfish are deep bodied and yellow with a black bar on the head passing from the dorsal area through the eye to the chin, and a wide black bar on the body from the dorsal area to the anal fin.  The soft rayed dorsal, anal and caudal fins are bright yellow.  There is a deep notch between the spinous and soft rayed dorsal fin.   Their body mucus can mix with seawater to create a soap suds effect, hence the name.

Barred Soapfish grow to 38cms in length. 

They are highly regarded as aquarium fish, however should not be mixed with other fish due to the toxic soaping effect.

In Australia, Barred Soapfish are found from south west Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to Moreton Bay South Queensland.

Orange Roughy are orange to red with a deep body covered with small ctenoid scales. There are deep mucous cavities on the head and 19 to 25 scutes on the belly. The fins are orange and the inside of the mouth and gill chambers are black. 

Orange Roughy grow to 60cms in length. 

They are considered very good eating, however the skin contains a substance that can cause diarrhoea. 

In Australia, Orange Roughy are found from south west Western Australia, around the temperate south to central New South Wales. 

Tripletail range from yellow (juvenile) to dark brown to black (large adults) with a silvery belly. They have a distinctively rounded soft dorsal and anal fin which produce a triple tail appearance. There are small scales extending onto the dorsal, caudal and anal fins. The head profile becomes more concave with age. Tripletail are the only member of the family Lobotidae. 

Tripletail grow to 15kgs and 1 metre in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

In Australia, Tripletail are found in both tropical and sub-tropical waters, ranging from Mandurah Western Australia, around the tropical north then south to the Hawkesbury River New South Wales. 

Rock Ling are elongated fish with an eel-like tail and are densely mottled with irregular blotches of grey shades and white.   Larger adults are darker, some almost black.  The jaw extends well behind the eye when the mouth is closed.  The pelvic fins are positioned below the eye.  The body is coated in a layer of mucous.

Rock Ling grow to 7 kgs and 1.2 metres in length.

They are considered good eating with firm, white and moist flesh.

Rock Ling are endemic to Australia, found from south-west Western Australia, around the southern coast to central New South Wales, including Tasmania, in shallow rocky reef areas.

Giant Sea Catfish are reddish-brown with a forked tail and barbels (accessory feeding structure) on their upper jaw.  They secrete a thick gel like material from skin cells when they are threatened or injured and are slimy to touch.  The tail is deeply forked.  Bony plates are present on the head and near the dorsal fin and there is a leading spine on the dorsal and pectoral fins.

Giant Sea Catfish grow to 4.5kgs and 1.85metres in length. 

They are considered good eating, with raw pink flesh which cooks up white and moist.

Giant Sea Catfish are saltwater fish found from north west Western Australia around the tropical north to Moreton Bay Queensland, at depths from 10-195 metres. 

Cobbler are mottled mainly brown with cream with a large flattened head and body tapering to a pointed tail.  The dorsal, caudal and anal fins are continuous.  The dorsal and pectoral fins each have an embedded, serrated spine which are poisonous.  The mouth is relatively small and surrounded by four pairs of barbels, a fifth being present above the snout. 

Cobbler grow to 60cms in length. 

Cobbler have soft, grey flesh and according to taste, either very good eating or not. 

In Australia, Cobbler are found from southern Western Australia around the southern coast and north to southern Queensland. 

Banded Sweep are deep bodied, greyish brown fish with a pale belly and broad brown to black vertical bars.  There may be a yellow tinge to their lower jaw in larger fish.  The dorsal and anal fins form a distinctive diamond-like shape.  The caudal fin is lightly forked.

Juvenile Banded Sweep are brownish with orange bands.

Banded Sweep are recorded at 2.49kgs and 46cms in length. 

They are considered poor eating. 

Endemic to Australia, Banded Sweep are found from Kalbarri Western Australia, south around to Kangaroo Island South Australia. They are generally found on shallow reefs and under ledges, to depths of 35 metres. 

Sea Sweep are deep bodied fish varying in colour from slate grey to silvery blue and occasionally with two faint vertical blotched saddles on the upper side.  All fins are slate grey.  The lower jaw is bright yellow in larger fish.  The body is covered with tiny ctenoid scales.  The dorsal and anal fins both have a prominent raised lobe. The caudal fin is large and forked and the pectoral fins are small. 

Sea Sweep grow to 3.5kgs and 61cms in length.

Bigger sized Sea Sweep are considered good eating.   Small Sea Sweep make good live bait for kingfish and samsonfish.

In Australia, Sea Sweep are found from Shark Bay Western Australia, around the southern coast including northern Tasmania, then north to Jervis Bay New South Wales, on deeper coastal reefs.

Western Footballer Sweep are silver white with yellow diagonal stripes bordered by brown. The fins and tail are yellow.  They have large eyes and a small mouth and are found in inshore and offshore reefs in large schools. 

Western Footballers grow to 24cms. 

They are generally aquarium fish. 

Western Footballer Sweep are endemic to Australia, found from Shark Bay Western Australia, south to Flinders Island South Australia.  

Also known as Grass and Blue Rock Whiting, Blue Weed Whiting are long slender fish like true whiting but they are more closely related to wrasse.  They have fused teeth and a single long dorsal fin whereas whiting have two dorsal fins.  All are born female and the mature males become bright blue to purple, with a black blotch at the rear of the dorsal fin.  Females and juveniles are greenish-brown and fade to brown after death.  On both, dark blotches form irregular cross bands on the sides and there is a distinctive blue blotch around the anus. 

Blue Weed Whiting grow to 41cms. 

They are not considered good eating. 

Blue Weed Whiting are found from the Abrolhos Islands Western Australia, around the southern coast and up to Sydney New South Wales, including Tasmania.  They are found in schools in seagrass beds of bays and estuaries.

male caught Busselton

Albany

female caught Cockburn Sound

Western Trumpeter Whiting are light sandy brown fading to a silver belly and with a series of irregular brown rounded blotches along the upper sides.  There is a horizontal silver stripe along the middle of the body.  There is an indistinct black spot at the base of the pectoral fin.   There are dark margins on the upper and lower caudal lobes.

Trumpeter Whiting (Sillago maculata) found on the east coast of Australia are distinguished by their more elongated brown markings, darker margins on the caudal lobes, and differing swim bladder morphology.

Western Trumpeter Whiting grow to 30cms in length. 

They are considered very good eating.

Western Trumpeter Whiting are found from Geographe Bay Western Australia, north through tropical waters, then south to Narooma New South Wales, in water to 15m deep. 

Also known as Rough-scaled Whiting, Golden-lined Whiting are bright silver with a dull golden-silver to golden-yellow band running the length of the body, just below the lateral line.  The pectoral fins have fine brown to black spots with no black spot at the base. The conical snout is used plough up sand to find marine worms.

Golden-lined Whiting grow to 45cms in length.

They are considered excellent eating.  Golden-lined Whiting are a major commercial species around the Shark Bay area.

Golden-lined Whiting are found from Shark Bay Western Australia around the tropical north to Moreton Bay Queensland, in sandy bottoms near shore, to 10m. 

King George Whiting are the largest of the whiting with a silver base colour and a light brown to brownish black upper body.  The whole body is covered in dark brown spots and broken dashes. 

King George Whiting reach 4kgs and 70cms. 

They are excellent eating. 

King George Whiting are found from Jurien Bay Western Australia, around the south coast to Jervis Bay NSW. 

Also known as Western Sand Whiting, Yellowfin Whiting are silver to sandy brown.  They are identified by their yellow to orange ventral and anal fins, which fade with age and in larger fish may be colourless.  They have two slightly separated dorsal fins.  There is no dusky blotch at the base of the pectoral fin nor obvious silver stripe along the side of the body nor markings in the dorsal area.

Yellowfin Whiting grow to 1kg and 40cms in length. 

They are considered good eating. 

Yellowfin Whiting are endemic to Australia and found from Shark Bay Western Australia, south along the WA coast to Albany and east to the Spencer Gulf in South Australia.

Western School Whiting are tan in the dorsal area fading to a silvery white belly and are distinguished by dark diagonal lines extending forward to touch a conspicuous silver midlateral longitudinal stripe.  They have a short based spiny dorsal fin and a long based soft dorsal fin.  The lateral line is gently curved above the pectoral fin.  A dusky spot on the pectoral fin base is a distinguishing feature from the similar Southern School Whiting.  

Western School Whiting grow to 300grams and 30cms in length, although there are reports from Shark Bay of much larger fish. 

They are good eating but with fine bones. 

Western School Whiting are found only along the Western Australian coast from Geographe Bay, north to Coral Bay, inhabiting sandy bottoms near shore.

Also referred to in WA as Sand Whiting and Silver Whiting, Southern School Whiting are sandy brown on the upper back and silvery-white below.  There may be very faint light orange to sandy brown streaks on the upper sides, made up of thin lines of brownish spots.  Under water these streaks are very difficult to see and on death they may fade entirely.  There is no spot at the base of the pectoral fin. 

Southern School Whiting grow to around 500g and 36cms in length.

They are rated as excellent eating.

Southern School Whiting are found from Geraldton Western Australia, around the southern coast to Western Port Victoria, including Tasmania, favouring sandy bottoms and shallow coastal waters.