Blue groper in Victoria
NSW's state fish, a bold metre-long wrasse that follows divers around every southern reef, and its larger western cousin.
Achoerodus viridis and A. gouldii
Eastern blue gropers are the fish every Sydney diver knows: large, curious, cobalt-blue males that trail divers around Shelly Beach, Bare Island and every other reef between Hervey Bay and Wilsons Promontory, often within arm's reach, hoping for a disturbed urchin. They are protected from spearfishing in NSW and from all fishing in sanctuary zones, and a large male at a busy site is often a local celebrity. The western blue groper, larger and found from Victoria to WA, is more wary but reaches 1.7 m. Both start life as females and change sex; the blue males were once brown females.
Field notes
How to find blue groper on the dive
- Depth
- 1–30 m.
- Habitat
- Every rocky reef in New South Wales and the eastern blue groper's range into Victoria; the western species in South Australia and WA. Sydney's aquatic reserves have the tamest.
- The tell
- A large, deep-bodied wrasse, the males a startling electric blue, following you around the reef at arm's length hoping you will turn over a rock. Females and juveniles are brown or green.
- Behaviour
- Curious, slow and long-lived; they change sex from female to male as they grow. Resident fish are known by name at some sites. They crush sea urchins and are important to keeping urchin barrens in check.
- Etiquette
- Do not feed them urchins or anything else; feeding changes behaviour and is banned in reserves. Fully protected from spearfishing in NSW and from all fishing in most reserves.
Season heat map
When blue groper sites are in season
Share of the 7 blue groper sites in Victoria with a stated best season that includes each month.
Stated season: Year-round.
Blue groper sites in Victoria7 sites
Ordered by how regularly the site is dived and how well it is documented. The species is listed in each site's recorded marine life; sightings are never guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find blue groper on a dive?
Every rocky reef in New South Wales and the eastern blue groper's range into Victoria; the western species in South Australia and WA. Sydney's aquatic reserves have the tamest. A large, deep-bodied wrasse, the males a startling electric blue, following you around the reef at arm's length hoping you will turn over a rock. Females and juveniles are brown or green.
Where is the best place to see blue groper in Australia?
Shelly Beach (Manly); Bare Island; Bass Point; Jervis Bay; almost every NSW reef. Western species at Rottnest, Albany and the SA jetties.
When is the best time to see blue groper?
Year-round.
How should I approach blue groper?
Do not feed them; it changes behaviour and is illegal in reserves.