(Image credit: Graham Edgar)

Leatherback turtles are named for their soft leathery shell, and are the largest sea turtle. Their black shell has 5 ridges running along the length with light spots on it. Hatchlings are black with white markings along carapace ridges and undersides.

Length: Up to 3 m

Habitat

Leatherback turtles are oceanic and are found in all the oceans of the world. They migrate great distances between cooler feeding grounds rich in jellyfish and tropical nesting beaches; 0 to more than 1000 m depth

Log it

Turtle distribution and movement patterns are not well know, so please log this species wherever it is spotted in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmanian, South Australia and southern Western Australian waters

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 books.

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