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
Family: POMATOMIDAE known as tailors
Habitat: Open ocean
Size: Can grow to 1.2 metres, commonly 60cms
Image: NSW DPI
Log it: Log this species if you spot it south of St Helens.

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