Common Name: Grey Drummer

Distribution: Abundant in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea and South Africa, eastern and western Australia, Lord Howe and Rapa Islands, north to southern Japan and Ryuku Islands. In Australia from around Perth to Exmouth on the west coast, the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, south to southern New South Wales, and including Lord Howe Island, Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs.

Ecological Notes: Frequents areas around shallow rocky reef and in coastal bays and harbours, especially in areas of high water movement. Depth from 1 to at least 20 m.

Additional Notes: Silvery grey with dark fins, distinguished from similar Kyphosus sydneyanus by its smaller scales, smoother head profile and lack of light front portion of tailfin. Feeds on Sargassum and Turbinaria algae. Often in small to large schools. Grows to 75 cm but usually 36 – 38 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.197.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Kyphosus+bigibbus. Accessed 20/04/2020.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Kyphosus-bigibbus.html. Accessed 20/04/2020.