Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Coral reef fish are fish which live amongst or in close relation to coral reefs. Coral reefs form complex ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity. Among the myriad inhabitants, the fish stand out as colourful and interesting to watch.

Hundreds of species can exist in a small area of a healthy reef, many of them hidden or well camouflaged. Reef fish have developed many ingenious specialisations adapted to survival on the reefs.

Coral reefs occupy less than one percent of the surface area of the world oceans, but still they provide a home for 25 percent of all marine fish species. Reef habitats are a sharp contrast to the open water habitats that make up the other 99% of the world oceans.

However, loss and degradation of coral reef habitat, increasing pollution, and overfishing including the use of destructive fishing practices, are threatening the survival of the

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the Blacksaddle Coral Grouper and the Oceanic Trout, this species is found in the Indo-Pacific; in Australia, its distribution spreads from Western Australia to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.

This coral trout has two distinct colour phases: the “footballer phase” which is whitish with black saddles, a yellow caudal peduncle and yellow fins; and a greyish form with a dark head, five dark saddles along the back, and small blue spots on the body.

A voracious piscivore inhabiting coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs, this fish is encountered most frequently in channels and outer shelf reefs. It feeds mostly on fishes, and occasionally on crustaceans. The prey comprises of a variety of large reef fishes, including groupers, and this diet of large fishes is responsible for the high concentrations of ciguatera toxins.

Information from FishBase and Fishes of Australia.

Queensland State

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the Butterfly goby, this fish is found in the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to South Africa, including islands in the western Indian Ocean. It is also found in Indonesia, Australia and South Pacific islands, Japan, the Philippnes and the Persian Gulf.

This species is epibenthic and littoral, entering estuaries and lagoons. A monogamous fish, they are usually seen in pairs, hovering a short distance above the substratum. It builds its burrow in sand or silty sand by moving out mouthfuls of sediment.

Information from FishBase.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6116

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

This species of wrasse is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is an inhabitant of reef environments at depths from the surface to 15 m. This species can grow to 20 cm in total length, though most do not exceed 15 cm.

The six-barred wrasse occurs in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs, slopes and along drop-offs to moderate depths. It occurs in small, loose groups and feeds on benthic and planktonic crustaceans, small fishes, and foraminiferans.

Information from FishBase and Wikipedia.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6114

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork from Frank Olsen.

Also known as the Short-nosed tripod fish, this species of marine fish in native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Its caudal fin is yellow, and as the fish looks like a helicopter, it is locally known as the Helicopter fish in West Bengal.

This species inhabits sandy or muddy flats in coastal and estuarine waters and feeds on benthic invertebrates. It is sold fresh in markets and is used in Chinese medicine.

Information from FishBase and Wikipedia.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 6188

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

The red lionfish is a venomous coral reef fish natively found in the Indo-Pacific region, including off the coast of western Australia, but it has become an invasive problem in the Caribbean Sea, as well as along the East Coast of the United States.

Red lionfish are clad in white stripes alternated with red/maroon/brown stripes. It has large, venomous spines that protrude from the body, similar to a mane giving it the common name ‘lionfish’. The venomous spines make the fish inedible or deter most potential predators.

Mainly a solitary species, courting is the only time they aggregate, generally one male with several females. Lionfish are nocturnal and voracious feeders, hunting primarily from late afternoon to dawn. When hunting, they corner prey using their large fins, then use their quick reflexes to swallow the prey whole.

As the fish become more abundant, they are becoming

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by Frank Olsen.

Also known as the zebra turkeyfish or zebra lionfish, this species is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific, including the Red Sea.

The zebra fire fish is an unusual looking fish with vertical stripes in orange, white and black on the body, and large, banded fan-like pectoral fins that flare out on either side as the fish lies on the seabed.

This member of the scorpionfish family has thirteen venomous spines along its back, used to defen itself. These spines are connected with a clear film-like membrane. These fish are slow-moving and peaceful, but can be dangerous. All lionfish are immune to each other’s venom and all are solitary fish.

It is found in inshore waters down to a depth of about 80 m. A bottom-dwelling species, the zebra firefish can be found on coral, pebble, and rock bottoms of reef flats,

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Artwork by George Coates.

The leatherjacket is a strange looking species of fish that is often encoutered as a by catch whilst fishing for other popular in-shore species such as bream and whiting. There are many varieties of leatherjacket found throughout Australia with most proving to posses very good eating qualities making them one of the most popular species available today.

Most smaller leatherjacket species prefer estuary and harbour habitats with plenty of weed and reef cover. Larger species are more likely encountered in offshore waters ranging from 5 – 500 meters in depth. Wharves, rock walls, jetties and wrecks are always a great place to find leatherjacket as they shelter from predators and feed on the many food sources found in the area.

All leatherjacket species, as their name suggests, have no scales and are covered in a leather like skin or ‘jacket’. A large proportion of

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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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