Blue-throated wrasse

The blue-throated wrasse (Notolabrus tetricus), also known as the bluehead, bluehead parrotfish, bluenose, bluenose parrotfish, bluethroat parrotfish, blue-throat wrasse, kelpie, lilac banded parrotfish, rocky bream, rocky cod, rotfish or winter bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It is found in the Indian and Pacific Ocean off the south-eastern coasts of Australia.

Habitat

The blue-headed wrasse occurs in sheltered to exposed rocky reefs, frequently being recorded where there is sea weeds as deep as 160 metres (520 ft). The adults are normally to be found near the sea bed and prefer deeper waters than the juvenile fish. The smaller fish are found in shallower water than the adults where they frequent beds of kelp and other seaweeds, as well as sea grass.

Distribution

The blue-headed wrasse is endemic to the waters of south eastern Australia where it is found from Newcastle, New South Wales and Sydney in New South Wales south to Victoria and Tasmania, east to South Australia. They are ones of the dominant species of reef fish off northern Tasmania and southern Australia.