Common Name: Mosaic Leatherjacket
Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the eastern Indian Ocean, widespread southern half of Australia from southern Queensland through to southern Western Australia and including Tasmania.
Ecological Notes: Juveniles common in estuaries and coastal reefs, adults frequent offshore reef to depths of at least 140 m.
Additional Notes: Colouration yellow to brown or orange, blotched with blue. Males (as here) have indistinct white banding. Bodies roughly circular in juveniles and females, more oval in males. Juveniles spend early life with floating jellies. Grows to 60 cm.
References: Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.410.
Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coasts, edited by Martin Gomon, Diane Bray and Rudie Kuiter. Reed New Holland, Publishers, 2008. p.831.
FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Eubalichthys-mosaicus.html. Accessed 26/05/18.