The playful Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) is a fascinating creature and one of the rarest in the world.
Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus armatus) are often spotted around seagrass meadows and shallow sandy inshore waters right across the Great Southern Reef.
There are several species of temperate boxfish endemic to the Great Southern Reef. Unlike puffers and porcupine fish, boxfish have a hard shelled bony shield with holes for the fins and slits for gills.
Southern Bull Kelp (Durvillaea potatorum) thrives amidst the relentless tides and swells. Remarkably resilient, attaching to rocky reefs by a large disc-shaped holdfast, their dark brown leathery branches (thallus) can reach a lengths in excess of ten metres. Individual bull kelps can weigh up to 75kg!
In South Australia’s Northern Spencer Gulf, there is a section of rocky reef that provides an important breeding ground for Australia’s Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia apama). It is within and underneath these rocks where the cuttlefish lay their eggs.
Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) are an iconic canopy forming seaweed that can grow over 35 metres long and up to half a metre each day. Like trees in a forest, giant kelp modifies the environment and the resulting conditions favour a huge diversity of other species.
Found in the temperate waters all along the Great Southern Reef, the Golden Decorator Crab (Naxia aurita) is a species of spider crab that uses materials from their environment as a means to hide from potential predators.
The golden kelp (Ecklonia radiata) forms the backbone of the Great Southern Reef. With strong holdfasts gripping tightly to the shallow, rocky surfaces, these highly productive algae dance gracefully in the high swell conditions where they flourish.
The elusive golden weedfish (Cristiceps aurantiacus) is a cryptic fish rarely sighted due to their ability to mimic algae, specifically the golden kelp found all along the Great Southern Reef.
While it may look like a tropical fish species, the harlequin fish (Othos dentex) is a colourful, rocky reef species endemic to the Great Southern Reef. Affectionately known as “Harlies”, these beautifully vibrant fish like to live on high profile reefs, in caves and crevices in clear coastal waters.
The iconic leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques) may be the most recognisable fish along the southern and western coastlines of Australia.
The long spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus Rodgersii) is an echinoderm, meaning this animal belongs to a group of marine invertebrates including sea stars and sea cucumbers which all have “spiky skin”.
The nudibranch or commonly called “nudi,” is one of the most beloved sea creatures to spot underwater. They are soft-bodied molluscs, which are highly varied in species in shape, size and especially colour.
At least 30 species of pipefish have been recorded in southern Australian waters. Pipefish look like straight-bodied seahorses with tiny mouths. The body and tail are long, thin, and snake-like. This makes them excellent at hiding among seaweed foliage and seagrass blades. Any diver will appreciate just how elusive these fish can be and they generally can only be spotted by the trained eye.
The Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) is a nocturnal, bottom dwelling ‘bullhead’ shark endemic to the Great Southern Reef. The shark's territory is habitually on or near the sea bottom, which is also its feeding area. They use the seagrass areas to camouflage with their pattern markings.
Red handfish are a type of anglerfish famous for their modified fins that resemble human hands, which they use to “walk” across the sea floor rather than swim. Known from just two small 50m patches of reef in Tasmania, red handfish are thought to be one of the rarest fish species in the world.
The spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) is an extremely rare species of anglerfish found only in a very specific location along the Great Southern Reef – near the Derwent River estuary in Tasmania.
Most commonly known as “starfish,” sea stars (Nectria ocellata) are actually not fish at all, but what is known as an echinoderm, a marine animal recognisable due to their radial symmetry and spiny skin. Other examples of echinoderms include sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. There are around 2,000 identified species of sea stars and they can be found in all the world’s oceans.
Commonly known as skeleton shrimp or ghost shrimp, caprellids are marine crustaceans known for their hairlike, cylindrical body structure that allows them to disappear against a background of fine filaments of seaweeds, other very small predatory animals and microscopic invertebrates.
Anglerfishes (Phyllophryne scortea) rely on camouflage and their fishing lure to attract unsuspecting prey which is rapidly engulfed.
Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) are an important apex predator in the Great Southern Reef ecosystem. These waters provide a summer home for young southern bluefin tuna (one to four years), with large numbers migrating into the warm, shelf waters each year to feed on abundant prey. As the largest of the tuna species, these fish are one of the top predators in the marine food chain.
Known for their highly toxic, and deadly venom, the tiny blue ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) is actually a docile creature that will not use their toxins unless provoked.
Known to the locals as just “squid,” the southern calamari (Sepioteuthis australis) is a species of reef squid that can be easily identified by their long tubular, cone shaped mantle, tentacles and large eyes. Their colour patterns can vary from orange-brown to almost transparent, and they are native to the oceans off the coastlines of Australia and New Zealand, commonly found all along the Great Southern Reef.
The southern dumpling squid (Euprymna tasmanica) is a type of bobtail squid, which comprises a group of cephalopods that are closely related to cuttlefish.
Southern Fan Worms (Sabellastarte australiensis) are a type of feather duster worm characterised by their protruding gills that fan out from their tube dwelling. These invertebrate worms can be found in almost all marine environments including those found along the Great Southern Reef.
Southern right whales are known as baleen whales as they use their specialised baleen plates to filter out food from the water. These ocean giants can weigh up to 135,000 kilograms and reach up to about 20 metres in length.
Commonly known as a “crayfish” or just “crays”, Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) are a species of spiny lobster native to the Great Southern Reef and New Zealand.
Spider crabs are one of the most iconic and mysterious species of the Great Southern Reef. Learn more about Australia's spider crab aggregations and the latest scientific research being conducted to understand these incredible animals.
Sponges (Porifera spp.) are the simplest of all animals. They are multicellular organisms with bodies full of pores and channels that allow water to circulate through them.
Dubbed a species of “carpet shark” due to their varying ornate patterned appearance, the Spotted Wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) is recognisable by its saddle and O-shaped white spots, green-ish brown body colour, robust flattened torso and tassel-like skin flaps around their jaw.
Highly dependent on their camouflage, juvenile weed whiting (Haletta semifasciata) tend to live amongst seagrass as they blend in perfectly.
The weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is the aquatic emblem for the state of Victoria. Thier leaf-like appendages resemble the swaying kelp fronds found in their habitat. They drift gracefully around seaweed beds and seagrass meadows relying on camouflage and stealth to approach their unsuspecting prey.
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. 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. Even though they are called a ‘groper’ they are actually a large wrasse.
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