Big-spotted Trigger Fish, colour. Balistes conspicillum

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Easily recognisable by its colouration, this small sized fish is also known as the Clown Triggerfish and is widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean until the western Pacific Ocean, and also the Caribbean.

Most commonly found along external reef slopes with clear water, in Australia it is known from the offshore reefs of north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales.

The triggerfish has a diurnal activity, is solitary and defends a territory. It can be very aggressive with other fish and congeners. The first long dorsal spine when erected is used to impress and opponent or to avoid a predator.

Information from Australian Museum and Wikipedia.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6189

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Hardyhead, colour. Pranesus ogilbyi (Whitley). Grant's "Guide to Fishes" (1965) p.43

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as Ogilby’s Silverside, this is a relatively deep-bodied silvery-bluish-green hardyhead, with dark pectoral-fin tips, and a dark margin on the rear of the caudal fin.

This species is found from Flinders Bay in Western Australia, across the top of the country and down the Queensland coast to New South Wales. It forms schools in shallow sheltered bays, estuaries and coastal areas.

The hardyhead feeds on a range of small crustaceans, polychaete worms, gastropod molluscs, insects and insect larvae, foraminiferans, and plant matter.

Information from Fishes of Australia.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6178

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Ox-eye Herring or Tarpon, colour. Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet)

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the Indo-Pacific tarpon, this species is widely distributed from Australia, Japan and North Africa. The tarpon lives in many tropical areas of Australia in the tropical, coastal, and brackish waters of the Indo-Pacific oceans, and in both freshwater and saltwater.

They inhabit coral reefs, mangroves, swamps, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, floodplains, and canals. They are opportunistic feeders, feeding on smaller fish, crustaceans, and even plants. In saltwater, they mainly feed on prawns and herring, but also many other small fish.

Information from Wikipedia.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6247

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Wing Fish, colour. Pteraclis velifer (Pallas)

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the spotted fanfish, Pteraclis velifera is a species of pmfret found in the Indian and western Pacific oceans from South Africa to New Zealand. It is found at depths to 500 meters. It reaches a length of 50 centimeters. Metallic silver in colour, its dorsal and anal fins are blue-black with silver trimmings.

Information from FishBase and Wikipedia.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6219

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