A common and well known New South Wales species found from Harvey Bay to Wilsons Promontory, Victoria. Sightings of Blue Gropers have been made in the Bass Strait and off the east coast of Tasmania.

These are the state fish of New South Wales. One male groper heads a larger school and if he is removed the dominant female changes gender and colour and becomes the new replacement male.

Old records from Hobart in 1840 show that Blue Gropers were present in the waters around the city at that time and even made it to the fish markets. This may mean that fishing practises or lack of suitable habitat, among other things, have prevented this species from returning to Tasmanian waters.

MALE: Males have fleshy lips and are a blue or blue-green colour.
FEMALE: Brown with random light spotting/blotches.
JUVENILE: are grey with similar blotches.

Family: LABRIDAE known as wrasses
Family members also on the Redmap list: Snakeskin Wrasse, Southern Maori Wrasse, Crimsonband Wrasse
Habitat: Exposed reef
Size: Big! Up to 1m
Image: NSW DPI
Log It: Log this species wherever it is spotted in Tasmanian waters.

Species names on the Redmap site are based on the Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota or CAAB (http://www.cmar.csiro.au/caab/).

• Australian Marine Life: The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters by G. J. Edgar, Revised Ed. (2008 ) Reed Books, Melbourne
   
• Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coast, Edited by M. Gomon. D. Bray and R. Kuiter (2008) Reed Books, Melbourne
   
• Last, P. R., Scott, E. 0. G., and Talbot, F. H. (1983). 'Fishes of Tasmania.' (Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority: Hobart)