(Image credit: David Harasti)

Large head, mouth and eyes in relation to body size. Silvery body with visible scales that have a pearly sheen and small brown spots. Distinguishing features are a bony shield at the top of the gill opening and a black spot on the trailing end of the dorsal fin. Juveniles have a vertical brown band that crosses the eye roughly diagonally.

Commonly found schooling in small to medium aggregations on deeper reefs.

Length: Up to 70 cm

Habitat

Schooling in deep offshore reefs; 5-90 m depth

Log it

In New South Wales, log if spotted in Port Stephens and south

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/