SOLITARY ISLANDS
UNDERWATER
RESEARCH GROUP, INC.

Species Index

Acanthistius ocellatus
(Gunther, 1859)

Common Name: Wirrah

Distribution: Common in coastal and offshore reef areas of the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Southwest Pacific region: east coast of Australia from southern Queensland to northern Tasmania and Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Wide ranging habitat from coastal pools to deep offshore reef. Secretive, territorial, never far from lair. Lives in caves, under overhangs. Depth to 100 m.

Additional Notes: Olive green colour with many small blue centred black spots across the body. Bars on face may or may not be present. Usually seen singly, often captured by line fishing and is reportedly poor eating. Feeds on small fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Grows to 45 cm.

References: Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.128.

Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coasts, edited by Martin Gomon, Diane Bray and Rudie Kuiter. Reed New Holland, Publishers, 2008. p.536.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Acanthistius-ocellatus.html. Accessed 27/06/18.