(Image credit: NSW DPI)

Distributed from northern New South Wales across southern mainland Australia to Western Australia. Tailor are also known in recent years to inhabit the warmer waters of northern Tasmania. However, anecdotally this species is considered becoming more common on the east coast and in southern Tasmania. For example fishers in St Helens informed Redmap that Tailor were not known around St Helens as little as 4 to 5 years ago. Tailor are a migratory species which are known to move south in the spring. Tailor are streamlined, coloured grey with a pale belly and have a broad forked tail. Watch out for their teeth, there is a good reason they are also called choppers.

AKA: Choppers

Length: Up to 1.2 m

Habitat

Open ocean, estuaries; 0-15 m depth

Log it

Although distribution is widespread, we really need more information on distribution and movement of this species, so in Queensland, log this species if you spot it north of Rockhampton; in Tasmania, log if you spot it south of St Helens and in South Australia, log if you spot it anywhere!

Related links/info

Species names on the Redmap site are based on the Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota or CAAB (http://www.cmar.csiro.au/caab/). This is updated regularly and lists the approved common name, family, species name and more.

Redmap species descriptions were based, with permissio,n on the following books:

Australian Marine Life: The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters by G. J. Edgar, Revised (2008) Reed Books, Melbourne

Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coast, Edited by M. Gomon. D. Bray and R. Kuiter (2008) Reed Books, Melbourne

Fishes of Tasmania by P. Last, E. Scott and F. Talbot (1983). Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority, Hobart

Find further information and images at FISHES OF AUSTRALIA http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/