Common Name: Purple Rockcod

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Known from the western Pacific: southern Japan, east to Fiji and the islands of Micronesia. Recently recorded from Tonga. In Australia recorded from north Queensland south to Sydney on the east coast, including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents areas of reef with isolated coral heads in lagoons and bays, sandy patches, outer reefs. Depths of 2 to 150 m.

Additional Notes: Pale bluish/grey body with even covering of small black spots, black marks on upper and lower lips. Yellow tint to fins and black mark on end of tail fades with age, the overall blue becoming more grey, see adult lower image. Feeds on sand dwelling crustaceans and snake eels. Juveniles and sub-adults known to inhabit estuaries. Grows to 120 cm and 17 kg in weight, juvenile pictured approximately 15 cm long. 

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.92.
FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Epinephelus-cyanopodus.html. Accessed 25/05/18.