A species once mistaken for the southern garfish, the eastern sea garfish Hyporhamphus australis of New South Wales, differs in the number of lateral line scales (58-60 cf. 52-57). Several other species of garfish can also be found in estuaries, particularly on warmer coasts. The southern garfish has an unusual diet as it is virtually the only species in southern Australia to consume seagrass in any quantity. During the day adults feed on seagrass; at night they consume planktonic crustaceans and stray insects landing on the water surface.

• Max Size: 52 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 12.2-23.2°C
• Depth: 0-2m
• Habitat: Open ocean

• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Infrequent (2% 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: Many (57 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.