(Image credit: Rudie Kuiter / Aquatic Photographics)

Slender fishes with a broad, flattened head without dorsal sucking disk and a protruding lower jaw; long-based dorsal fin preceded by short separated spines; anal fin similar with a slightly shorter base; front of soft dorsal and anal fins distinctly higher than rest of fin; caudal fin concave in adults with a longer upper lobe, fin rounded in juveniles. Dark brown above with two narrow white stripes along sides from head to tail base of tail, underside pale; large adults with a single stripe along the upper side.

Length: Up to 200 cm fork length

Habitat

Pelagic, offshore coral or rocky reefs, to coastal muddy, sand or rubble areas. Often seen at or near the surface accompanying large rays and sharks; rarely in temperate waters; 0-200 m depth

Log it

In Victoria, log this species if spotted west of Wilsons Promontory
In Western Australia, log this species south of Cape Naturaliste

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 permission, on the following resources:

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

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