This species is found throughout southern mainland Australia including northern New South Wales to south-western Western Australia and the Kent Group islands, Tasmania.

Tricky fish to identify - can look like the Pretty Polly or Castelnau's Wrasse and even has similar swimming styles. Often can been seen swimming vertically with its tail toward the sea floor.

It has a longer body (elongated) and a dark brown stripe or band horizontally along the length of its body. Patterns comprise of 5 to 10 dark brown bands vertically down the flank of the fish which angle back (like a backslash on a keyboard). Face speckled with brownish blotches.

Family: LABRIDAE known as wrasses
Family members also on the Redmap list: southern maori wrasse, crimsonband wrasse, eastern blue groper
Habitat: Exposed reef
Size: Maximum size of 20 cm.
Image: G. Edgar
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/).  This is updated regularly and lists the approved common name, family, species name and more.

• 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