Photo Observation of the Month of December - Fanbelly Leatherjacket

We have now completed our second month of the Marine Biodiversity of Southern Sydney Harbour project and I'd like to congratulate user nikihubbard for his Photo Observation of the Month of a Fanbelly Leatherjacket (Monacanthus chinensis) from Parsley Bay. It is also our most observed species in the project to date. This fish species can be recognised by the large skin flap on the belly, the concave snout profile, the caudal filament, and by the triangular profile of the back. These fish are often seen maintaining position along the edge of the swimming net at Parsley Bay. Note that it's colouration can often change to match its surrounding environment, whether that be an oyster bed, seagrass, or sandy patch. This species is not just restricted to Australia but found more broadly to Malaysia and southern Japan, through Indonesia and Samoa.

This journal post was written by project leader and iNaturalist member, Dr Joseph DiBattista.