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Eastern Blue Devil
Paraplesiops bleekeri (Günther, 1861)
An Eastern Blue Devil at a depth of 25 m, north-west of Bowen Island, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, April 1998. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
Above and below: An Eastern Blue Devil at a depth of 18 m, Boat Harbour, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, February 2004. Photo © P. Selwood. View larger image.
The Eastern Blue Devil can be recognised by its banded pattern and yellow pectoral and caudal fins. The pelvic fins and posterior dorsal and anal fins are elongate. When spread these fins overlap, making the fish appear larger.
It grows to 40 cm in length.
This species is endemic to Australia. It occurs in coastal waters from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.
It is sometimes seen by divers in caves and under ledges. In estuaries it is infrequently seen in water as shallow as 3 m, but is more commonly seen in coastal waters down to about 30 m depth.
The Eastern Blue Devil is protected under New South Wales Fisheries Laws. It may not be speared or collected by any means, or possessed without a permit.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- View image of a fish caught at the southern limit of the distribution of this species.
- View a low resolution movie clip (79k) of this species. Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.
- View the Dottybacks, Comets and Hulafishes list
Further reading
- Edgar, G.J. 1997. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Reed Books. Pp. 544.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
