Achoerodus gouldii
Western blue groper
Achoerodus gouldii, male, Eyre Peninsula, SA, Photo: Graham Edgar
Achoerodus gouldii, female, Eyre Peninsula, SA, Photo: Graham Edgar
Achoerodus gouldii, Albany, WA, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Achoerodus gouldii, Kangaroo Island, SA, Photo: Antonia Cooper
Similar Species
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Less common than their eastern relatives and are only seen in large numbers along the remoter sections of the south coast. Both the western blue groper and the closely related eastern blue groper are inquisitive and sometimes follow divers, a fatal characteristic for a fish that is also large and tasty.
Information
Max Size: 175 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 13.9-21.6°C
Depth: 0-40m
Habitat Generalization Index: 8.72
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Occurrence: Common (37.5% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (2 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney