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Alternative name/s: Freycinet's Leatherjacket, Grey Leatherjacket, Orange-spotted Leatherjacket, Reef Leatherjacket, Six-spine Leatherjacket, Skottowe's Leatherjacket, Variable Leatherjacket The colouration of Sixspine Leatherjackets change with...

Alternative name/s: It has also been called the Golden-eyed Leatherjacket and Small Brown Leatherjacket. Usually seen in large schools or as a male and female pairing, they can be found in estuarine and inshore waters in seagrass beds and on rocky...

This white nudibranch has possibly been introduced into South Australian waters from fishing vessels. The nudibranch has some lines across the mantle with some black spots which are hard to see without a good camera zoom. Currently quite common at...

A nocturnal eel that ventures out to hunt for vertebrates. Commonly seen burrowing in sediment/sand

The Bluespotted Goatfish is a shallow water species that is endemic to southern Australia. The Bluespotted Goatfish has small eyes and a small mouth with fleshy lips. There are two dorsal fins. The first spinous dorsal fin is taller with a shorter...

AKA Noumea closei

A bumpy bodied nudibranch that can be found in a variety of colours, such as yellow, orange, red, white & purple.

The Moonlighter is a marine ray-finned fish, with pronounced black and white stripes. Moonlighters are members of the subfamily Microcanthinae, part of the sea chub family Kyphosidae. It is endemic to southern Australia, where adults can be found...

A striking and easily recognised leatherjacket with a distinct horseshoe-shaped marking on the midside. Males are much more brightly-coloured than females, and adults also have two pairs of curved spines on each side of the caudal peduncle. ...

Adult Weedy (or Common) seadragons are an orange/reddish colour, with yellow and purple markings; they have small leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp fronds providing camouflage, and a number of short spines for protection. Males have narrower...

AKA The Brain Nudi

A rather large sea slug that seasonally arrive around spring time. Pleurobranchus hilli can span more than 30cm in length, making it an impressive size. Normally a dark purple/brown in colour, they can also have very light colourings as well.

The magpie perch is a fish found around Southern Australia & New Zealand It has a white & black body with 3 thick black stripes. Normally they feed off small invertebrates in algae.

Red Pipefish is a species of pipefish endemic to the Indian Ocean waters along the southern coast of Australia and Tasmania. It occurs at depths from 5 to 20 m (16 to 66 ft) over the continental shelf. This species grows to a length of 16.4 cm (6.5...

Usually large reddish brown fish with large eyes

Have 9-10 thick dagger-like stripes and yellow fins (NB: Juveniles are darker with indistinct bars and may be confused with Luderick) They’re found around shallow reef structures and rock walls where they can form spectacular stripy schools of...

Very large octopus

An orange nudi which can grow rather large, up to 15 cm. Found in a variety of locations and almost banned from photo competitions due to how common they are! Also known as bob (previously 'Short Tail Ceratosoma')

The Southern Eagle Ray has a blunt snout and eyes on the sides of the head. The disc is wider than long and has pointed tips. There is a small dorsal fin followed by a venomous stinging spine on the long whip-like tail. It is brownish, grey,...

Large slug found on the sand of various dive sites (not common). Various species around Australia (this one possibly P.cyanea)

The Sculptured Seamoth is found on the sea floor, often in sand or in/near seagrass. This little critter is quite well camouflaged and normally buried during the day. The Sculptured Seamoth is endemic to the Southern parts of Australia, but is...

This nudibranch eats sponges and is commonly found on its food source. Colour varies from pink, yellow to cream. Most commonly observed colour variation is pink.

This is one of the narrowest-bodied and longest-legged types of sea spiders in SA. The father sea spider carries the eggs and also the young when they hatch.

These furry looking critters at the right angle have a nice pearlescent effect.

Yellow weedfish with a stripe over its eye. The yellow crested weedfish looks like it's walking with its front fins! Also known as a golden weedfish

Can be observed in a number of colour variations. Body can be pink or white with red, orange or brownish cerata.

A white nudi with bubbly protusions. The rhinophores are usually orange with a darker tip. There are scattered purple tips as well giving this nudibranch a colourful look!

A very tiny Cephalopod, the Southern Pygmy Squid are hard to find and harder to photograph. Smaller than all their other squid and octopus cousins, they feast on shrimp and other small crustaceans. They glue themselves to the back of seagrass and...

A spectacular nudibranch, Tularia Bractea can be found in Southern Australian waters and New Zealand. While this nudi looks like it may have 4 rhinophores, two of them are oral tentacles. The cerata on the back are arranged in rows

The Ornate Cowfish is a species of fish that is common in the Southern oceans of Australia. The males have striking patterns of dots and lines, which reflect a nice blue in underwater flashes. The females and children are not as flamboyant. You...

The Australian Numbfish, also known as the coffin ray, or numbray, is an electric ray that is found within Australian waters up 80 meters deep. Australian Numbfish can reach up to 40cm in length and is shaped a bit more rounded than other rays. ...

Abalone are a family of molluscs that are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. They are varied in size from 2cm to 30cm depending on the species. Abalone are a type of marine snail, with a hard outer shell and the body underneath. ...

The bobtail squid is a squid that lives in shallow waters around jetties, seagrass beds or soft/muddy bottoms. They live for around half a year, and adults can grow up to about 7cm long. They can change colour, with their spots growing larger or...

The leafy seadragon is one of the most famous marine creatures in South Australia, given its impressive look and foliage. Commonly mistaken for seaweed, they are a great critter to find on a dive! If you see any leafy sea dragons, make sure you...

Found most commonly just off the continental shelf/continental slope at depths from 30 to 500 metres

Known from VIC and SA. It has distinctive purple oral tentacles and rhinophores, and a bright, pale yellow ring on each ceras.

An impressively coloured nudibranch for living in temperate waters, the Tambja Verconis is normally found on blue bryozoan plants which it commonly feeds off of.

A blue flatworm found in SA Waters. This flatworm is a vibrant blue with a white outline, making for some good colour contrast!

The body of Chromodoris Ambigua is white with orange giraffe-like spots and with an outline of purple spots. This nudi can be found in Southern Australia (SA, Tassie & Vic)

The Dusky Morwong is a big fish that is found in Southern Australian waters. Growing past 1 metre in length, and found around rocky reefs and wrecks, you can find Dusky Morwongs chilling out on the sea floor, mostly docile until you get too close! ...

Other Names: Brown-spotted Boarfish, Giant Boarfish, Yellow-spotted Boarfish, Yellowspotted Penfish A large pearly-grey boarfish with two indistinct darker oblique bands on the midbody, and yellowish to brownish spots on head, nape and either side of...

A common porcupinefish with 3-4 dark vertical bands or blotches on the sides, and long white to yellowish spines that usually lie flat against the body. When threatened, globefish rapidly inflate themselves with water or air to become spherical in...

A pale bronze to coppery-brown sweeper with a darker bar on the rear of the gill cover above the pectoral-fin base. Commonly found in groups around South Australian dive sites

Identification. The Pencil Weed Whiting is a small, slender, green to brown fish with a long snout. Females have a white-margined spot on the caudal fin. Males have two blue lines on the sides of the body. Habitat. The Pencil Weed Whiting occurs in...

Tiny little bug type critters with big eyes that hover in groups around logs etc. Come in different colours.

A crab that delights in picking out seaweed and other decorations in order to blend in and camouflage itself. Quite common, but always have a different outfit depending on what is around.

A cuttlefish with very distinct white and black stripes which can also change colour to a darker brown/purple if under duress. Commonly found at night time, but can be found during the day.

This grumpy looking fish is found in jetties and reefs inside holes and hiding under platforms. The striking colours makes for an excellent photo.

This sublittoral species has a background colour ranging from bright yellow to a fairly pale cream. D. chrysoderma always has rounded white pustules. This species grows to approximately 30 mm in length

Old wives are found around reefs and jetties and are quite curious fish! Commonly you can find them in pairs

A small sea horse that can grow up to 10 cm in length. This seahorse can be found along jetties at shallower depths of 5 or so meters. They are quite active during a night dive, albeit they are seen during the day as well.

The Smooth Stingray is the largest of all Australian stingrays (Family Dasyatidae). It grows to 4.3 m in length, 2 m disc width and a weight of 350 kg. It usually has irregular rows of small white spots on the upper surface. It has a relatively short...

Distribution. Endemic to southern Australia, from York Peninsula, South Australia, to Dongara, Western Australia. Inhabits coastal reefs to a depth of 30 m, preferring exposed offshore areas. Juveniles have been found under jetties in coastal...

Peronedys anguillaris, the eel blenny, is a species of clinid found in estuaries of southern Australia where it only inhabits beds of eelgrasses where the living grasses are bedded in decaying grasses. It can reach a maximum length of 13 centimetres...

Male Heteroclinus kuiteri can reach a maximum length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) SL. The colouration of the blennies varies, with both male and female bodies being primarily brown. The blennies are sometimes uniformly brown in colour, but can also...

A small mottled dark to pale grey or pale brown velvetfish, with irregular white spots and blotches especially on the fins, a pale band behind the eye, and sometimes an orange head. The Threefin Velvetfish has a deep notch between the 7th and 8th...

Adelaide's weedfish, is a species of clinid that occurs in the Indo-Pacific waters around southern Australia. It prefers weedy habitats down to a depth of about 15 metres (49 ft) where it feeds on benthic animals. This species can reach a maximum...

Generally found in the shallows in sand.

Not to be mistaken with the more common gulf pipefish.

Generally found in seagrass.

Found in the east and south of Australia, these rays are found on the sand in varying depths. They get their name from the shape, being in the genus of guitarfish.

The common octopus is found all through the world, with a great ability to change colours & intelligence behind the eyes.

Mexichromis macropus has a mantle border decorated with radially arranged orange or yellow-orange stripes rather than spots, as in Mexichromis katalexis or continuous lines as in Mexichromis mariei. The mantle ranges in colour from white to...

This is a colorful nudi found in a number of locations with black and white spots on a dark blue body.

This species has a white body which is elaborately patterned with orange and purple spots especially on the dorsum. The size of the spots varies according to range, with those individuals in New Zealand having the largest. There is some variation in...

The Sargeant Baker fish is a flagfin which has been found all over australia. This fish can grow up to 60cm and spotted down to 250m The name allegedly comes from Admiral Philip's orderly sargeant, Sargeant Baker, who was possibly the first...