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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

A common butterflyfish with a very long snout, two narrow orange bars on the head and anterior body, a bar down the middle of the body, a broad yellowish or yellowish-orange band on the rear of the body divided by a crescent-shaped white bar, and a false eyespot or ocellus on the dorsal fin.

This species grows to 20 cm in length, and occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is known from the northern Great Barrier Reef to the central coast of New South Wales.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6177

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

A species of wrasse native to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and the African coast to the Tuamotus and Hawaii, and from the southern waters of Japan to New Caledonia.

This species can be found on coral reefs at depths from 1 to 42 metres. In Queensland it is found along the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef.

The standard name of the Slingjaw Wrasse refers to the fish’s ability to protrude its mouth to capture prey such as crabs, shrimps and small fishes. When protruded the mouth can be up to half the body length.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6108

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the sailfin snapper, this is a deep-bodied tropical snapper native to the eastern Indian Ocean (off western Australia) and the western Pacific Ocean. It inhabits sandy areas adjacent to reefs in lagoons and on outer reefs.

A carnivore, this species usually feeds on fishes and benthic crustaceans and molluscs. Although usually solitary, small spawning aggregations of mature individuals are seen along seaward reefs.

Its body shows blue undulating stripes over a yellow body, an orange stripe crossing the eye, and another one at the back of the head. It has typically a black spot at its tail. This species can reach a length of 60 cm (24 in).

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6101

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by George Coates.

Yellowfin tuna are torpedo-shaped with dark metallic blue backs, yellow sides, and a silver belly. They have very long anal and dorsal fins and finlets that are bright yellow. Yellowfin can live up to six or seven years. They are highly migratory and are found throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

They often travel in schools with similarly sized companions, and mixed schools with other tunas like slipjack and bigeye are commonplace. They are also known to associate with dolphins or porpoises, as well as with larger marine animals such as whales and whale-sharks.

Yellowfish tuna prey includes other fish, pelagic crustaceans, and squid. Like all tunas, their body shape is particularly adapted for speed, enabling them to pursue and capture fast-moving baitfish such as flying fish, sauries, and mackerel. Large yellowfins prey on smaller members of the tuna family such as

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by George Coates

Also known as Black Rock-cod, Brown-marbled Grouper and Tiger Grouper, this species is widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from eastern coasts of Africa to the oceanic islands of the centre of the Pacific Ocean, Red Sea included. However, it’s absent from the Persian Gulf, Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Like many of the groupers, the Flowery Cod lives in rich clear waters close to coral or rocky reefs, lagoons and external slopes from the surfance until 60 metres depth. An ambush predator, this fish is carnivorous and its diet consists mainly of fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods. It is solitary, sedentary, and defends a well defined territory.

It has quite a long life span for a fish, and can expect to live until at least 40 years old.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6027

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the Sixbar Angel Fish, this marine angelfish has an easily recognisable yellow body with black vertical stripes (usually six on each side, hence ‘sixbar’), one white vertical stripe on each side of its black head, fluorescent blue spots on the body, fins and tail and fluorescent blue lines on the top and bottom fin and tail.

They are common in South Pacific reefs, most commonly the Great Barrier Reef of Australia’s north-east coast. It can grow to a maximum size of 46 cm in the ocean. This species is omnivorous, eating sponges, corals and algae, and is also known to eat other fishes’ eggs. Often seen in pairs, the six-banded angel fish mates with one partner and they stay together for life.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6216

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

A voracious predator with a long slender compressed body, a tubular snout and a series of short dorsal-fin spines along the back. The colour pattern is highly variable and trumpetfish can rapidly change colour.

These cunning ambush predators rely on stealth and camouflage to sneak up on unsuspecting prey. They often hunt smaller fishes by ‘hitching a ride’ alongside other larger fishes – or even hawksbill sea turtles – or camouflage themselves by drifting head down among large corals.

This species is found in tropical and subtropical waters from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, but not in the Red Sea. It lives in clear and calm waters in rocky and coral reefs from the surface to 120 m deep.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6215

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