Eastern Blue Groper are hermaphrodites and may change sex from female to male during their life cycle. A friendly but powerful coastal fish that often follows divers. Daily Goals. The females are smaller and range from a brown colour to a reddish brown; they may also have a series of pale blotches along the side of their body. The Eastern Blue Groper is endemic to Australia. 85 / 2,300g left. Its main diet is crustaceans, such as spiny lobsters, and it occasionally eats crabs. Marine Waters is proudly supported by Woodside. Is NOT a groper but the largest of the wrasse family. Western Blue Groper inhabit exposed rocky reefs in coastal waters of southern and south-western Australia. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. One big blue males can have up to 30 female mates, so if you see a Blue Groper … Yellow lines around eyes, prominent fleshy lips and large peg-like teeth. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The spoke for dietary fiber is colored green, protein is blue, vitamins are purple, minerals are white, and yellow represents a group of commonly overconsumed nutrients: saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Change ), Enter your email address if you want to learn more about animals, 5 Interesting Facts About Australasian Gannets, 5 Interesting Facts About Short-Beaked Echidnas, 5 Interesting Facts About Anatolian Newts, 5 Interesting Facts About Sydney Funnel-Web Spiders, 5 Interesting Facts About Luzon Bleeding-Hearts, 5 Interesting Facts About Dwarf Sperm Whales, 5 Interesting Facts About Egyptian Spiny-Tailed Lizards, 5 Interesting Facts About Golden Parakeets. The Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) was proclaimed the State fish of New South Wales in 1998. Sodium 2,215g. It is the largest bony reef fish in temperate (cool) Australian waters, reaching a maximum of 40 kg weight and 1.75 metres in length. The western blue groper (Achoerodus gouldii) is a slow growing and inquisitive fish that lives in the coastal reefs all along the Great Southern Reef and can live for up to 70 years. Known to snorkellers and divers for their fearless, inquisitive nature, the fish can grow to 1.2 metres long and have distinctive large eyes. A wrasse in groper’s clothing In southern Australia, the western blue groper is actually the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs, reaching a length of up to 1.7 metres and a weight of up to 40 kilograms. Juveniles are grey brown, orange brown or green. Look closely next time you see a Blue Groper while diving and see if you can notice the lines. They have a wide range, living in reefs throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans, but they are considered vulnerable to extinction due to over-fishing. Length - 40cm Depth - … Other fish will try to eat young groupers, but adult groupers are only at risk from humans. Alvey style reels are still very popular with Blue Groper anglers however a quality spin reel in the 4000 - 6000 size is ideal as well. Found singly over seagrass beds in shallow protected coastal reefs rich in coral growth. Line needs to be about 15kgs or stronger if you want any level of consistent success with these hard fighting fish. Cheers They have a single long-based dorsal fin, a large squarish tail, thick fleshy lips, large heavy scales and peg-like teeth. Here are five interesting facts about them: I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new. 2 / 67g left. Resources are free to access and use - or create an account to save and share your favourites with colleagues and friends and receive updates from our Community Education team. Also known as Bluespot Cod, Blue-spotted Hind, Blue-spotted Rockcod, Bommie Cod, Cod, Coral Cod, Hind, Rockcod, Trout. They live in small groups, with one male and a harem of females. Size Maximum of close to 50 kg and a length of over 1 m. Distribution They are very slow swimmers, so they rely on ambushing tactics to catch their prey. This is a giant grouper looking for a yummy shark to eat. FISH Facts: Eastern blue groper They have pharyngeal teeth – throat teeth for crushing. (demersal matching). When growth is faster, translucent or clear bands are laid down. Description: Blueback herring and alewife are very similar.They are flat-sided fish with rounded bellies and forked tails. Fitness Goals : Heart Healthy. Adult females are typically greyish-green to reddish in colour, and the males are greyish to bright blue. 100 %2 gFat. Facts About Blueback Herring . Blue Bone Groper Blue Bone Groper - Fish. Breeding and Behaviour. The ear bones of fish, called otoliths, contain a detailed record of their age. They then grow to around 80cm in length where they change sex and become male. This process is clearly as difficult as it sounds – these fish turn blue in the process and pile on the kilos. Fact Sheet: Western Blue Groper. Fish were not interested in lures but plenty of groper on crabs as bait. © 2020 Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Here are five interesting facts about them: Also known as the Queensland grouper, they are the largest reef-dwelling fish in the world, growing up to 3.65 metres long and weighing up to 400 kg. The colour is very variable with adults: males a vivid blue, females reddish brown and the juveniles a greyish brown, brownish orange or green. Learn more about the biology of this fish in this fact sheet. A brightly coloured blue wrasse (it’s not really a groper), the Blue Groper can reach up to 1.40m and 40kg. It is particularly well known to scuba divers in New South Wales and was made the fish emblem for New South Wales in 1996. Not all serranids are called 'groupers'; the family also includes the sea basses. Rinse fillets and pat dry. They can live for up to 50 years which is very old for a fish. Cholesterol 232g. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Adult females are reddish brown with fine blue and orange markings around the eye. They can still be taken by recreational line fishers, however there is a bag limit of two fish per day. Calorie Goal 1,971 cal. When growth is slower, the bands are milky or opaque. The Government of Western Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. The males also have orange lines radiating from their eyes. Blue Bone Groper typically inhabits coral reefs with sections of broken rubble, sand and weed. Bass groper are a large, powerful species that are difficult to remove from their deep underwater locations. Black Friday Sale: 50% OFF . They are found along coral reefs and reefy flats hunting for food which include different varieties of crustaceans and sea urchins including crabs, shells and sea critters. The giant grouper eats a range of food, including small sharks, fish, rays, and small sea turtles. Dredge groper in the seasoned flour. It was made the Fish Emblem of NSW in 1996 and then promoted to the states Marine Emblem in 2000. Also known as the Queensland grouper, they are the largest reef-dwelling fish in the world, growing up to 3.65 metres long and weighing up to 400 kg. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. They are a member of the wrasse family and are highly regarded for their excellent eating quality. By 1980 the sale of Eastern Blue Groper was made illegal and there is an $11,000 fine if you are caught spearing a Blue Groper. In southern Australia, the western blue groper is actually the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs, reaching a length of up to 1.7m and a weight of up to 40kg. A weekend away with mates. But this only happens to the dominant female in any group, so most remain brown all their lives. ( Log Out /  Adult males are bright blue. In southern Australia, the western blue groper is actually the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs, reaching a length of up to 1.7m and a weight of up to 40kg. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders both past and present. ( Log Out /  Melt the butter in a frypan over medium-high heat. ( Log Out /  The Western Blue Groper, is a Labrid (wrasse) which is the second most diverse family of marine fishes. Each year as a fish grows, tiny bands of calcified material are laid down in the bone, similar to growth rings in a tree. The blue groper has been the official fish of NSW since 1996. It can be up to a metre long and weigh between 2 and 15kg, though some specimens may reach 40kg or more. Juveniles start out as a green colour and then change to the brown of the female. Gropers are born female, with a grey-brown colouring. Western Blue Groper Achoerodus gouldii Western Blue Gropers are large, long-lived slow-growing fish that are closely related to the Eastern Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis). Place the groper in the frypan and cook until lightly browned and the fish is easily flaked with a fork, 2 to 4 minutes on each side. Blue groper can grow to over 40kg in weight and measure as much as 160cm in length although most fish encountered throughout Australia are typically around the 8- 15kg mark depending on location. This inquisitive and docile fish can live up to 70 years of age – that’s pretty impressive! Fat 65g. Adult males are bright blue to greenish-blue, while females are usually reddish-brown to brown, often with randomly-spaced pale spots and blotches. A member of the wrasse family, we change colour and sex as we grow. As is the case with most groper species blue groper begin their lives as females and mature at around 30cm in length. ( Log Out /  The common name 'grouper' is usually given to fish in one … 100 %26 gProtein. Serving Size : 113 gm raw. 29 / 2,000 cal left. Some groupers change sex as they get older, from female to male! It grows maximum size o… Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Log Food. Some turn into bright blue males later in life. If you like the vid give us a like, and comment. Heavy tackle is needed to target these large deep water fish with 80lb rods coupled with powerful electric reels with large line capacities preferred. Juveniles are greyish to … Is the NSW State fish – adopted in 1996. Tackle requirements. Reserve 4 1/2 tablespoons of seasoned flour in a small bowl and set aside. One of the weirdest facts about the giant grouper is if the male dies, one of the females is able to turn into a male and take over the harem. How does this food fit into your daily goals? Western Blue Gropers can live for up to These fish live in the beautiful northern waters of Western Australia. Both are silvery with dark blue or bronze backs, and they have small spiny scales along their belly. It is found in coastal, marine waters from southern Queensland to Wilson's Promontory, Victoria. Sign in Sign up for FREE Black Friday Sale: 50% OFF Today I want to write about a massive fish that even eats sharks, the giant grouper. Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about giant groupers? Diet consists of crabs, prawns, shellfish and sea urchins. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. They are the largest bony fish species found on the rocky reefs of South Australia. 0 %--Carbs. Young giant groupers are yellow with black markings, but their colour changes to a duller green-grey or brown when they get older. Poster: Marine Habitats of Western Australia, Fishy Fun Activity: Who am I? The Western Blue Groper lives in coastal reefs down to a depth of 40 metres, although small juveniles remain in more protected waters until they are big enough to fend for themselves. Eastern blue gropers can be distinguished from other reef fish, like rock blackfish, drummer and luderick, by our slow movement using just our pectoral fins (the fins behind the gills). A large bony fish, they can grow to be up to 1.7 metres in length, and are not fully grown until they are about 30 years old. They eat lobsters, crabs, fish and even small sharks and young sea turtles, using their massive mouths to eat their prey whole. 29 Cal. 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