Orange Spotty Fish?

[trungie]

Caught this off sydney, have no idea what it was. Too scared to bring it home. haha

Edited September 20, 2008 by GeekFisherman

[Dreamtime]

Female Crimson-banded Wrasse

The male version

The Crimson-banded Wrasse changes colour pattern with growth. Juveniles are a drab green to brown with white spots.

Females are red, green or grey with rows of white spots. Males have white cheeks, a red band across the body, red dorsal and anal fins and a white tail.

The Crimson-banded Wrasse grows to 40 cm in length.

It occurs from southern Queensland to eastern Victoria at depths of 4 m to 40 m. It is a common species on rocky, kelp-covered reefs in the Sydney region.

Secret life of the sex-changing fish revealed

Friday 13 April 2007

Local research has revealed a remarkable tale of fish changing sex and fish harems in waters off the New South Wales Central Coast.

PhD student at the University of Newcastle, Ourimbah campus, Jason Morton, has spent the past four years researching the secret life of two local species of fish; the Crimson-banded wrasse and the Maori wrasse.

"My research has uncovered the fascinating life of local wrasses, including the ability to change sex," Jason Morton said.

"Individual wrasses first function as females. At around two years of age, and approximately 18cm in length, they mature and begin producing eggs.

"They continue to function as females until approximately four to five years of age, when they are about 28cm long, then change sex and become males in a process known as sequential hermaphroditism.

"Within each territory a single male has a harem of up to 10 socially ranked females with the largest, highest ranking female likely to be the one to change sex after the male dies.

"But my research has found that the females are not always committed to one male. Some make excursion trips into other harems to determine whether joining a new group will improve their social rank and therefore reduce the waiting time to become a male.

"My research provides insight into the likely social disruptions to the wrasse population caused by fishing, particularly because the larger, male fish is more likely to be caught.

"As a result, the highest-ranked female fish changes sex and the remaining females within a harem are likely to re-contest their social rank."

Mr Morton said local enthusiasts of fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving would be familiar with the wrasse, particularly because they readily take bait ahead of other species, but very little was known about them.

"Over the years I have observed patterns of distribution, social organisation and behaviour, age and growth, reproduction, and feeding ecology," he said.

"I have found that unless captured by fishermen or eaten by predators, these fish can live for more than 10 years and reach 40cm in length, a fact that will surprise many people

Edited September 20, 2008 by Mariner 31

[mrelxr6]

can you eat them or do they taste like a sponge

[squizzytaylor]

Like most wrasse species, they cook up OK.

Geoff

[SAfisho]

Not much point though it it's about 20cm long. Wrasse aren't that great, had one and thought it was ordinary so won't go around killing fish for an average meal. What's the point? Rather eat something tastier and have not caught it than killing something just so you can say you ate your catch, even if it's ordinary.

[hottyscotty]

i catch them a lot chasing pigs. odd how the female is ugly but the male has a very nice colourful pattern on them

[openflame06]

My mate and I have caught a few male and female ones at Crowdy Bay, he took one home to eat and said it wasnt worth it. Maybe if you got a large sized one it would be good.