Orange spotted Rockcod

The orangespotted rockcod, or estuary cod, is a robust grouper with a pale grey-brown body covered in small orange to reddish-brown spots and scattered darker blotches. Juveniles are common in estuaries and shallow sheltered water, while adults move onto inshore reefs and rocky ledges.

Like other rockcod it is an ambush predator, holding in caves and under ledges before engulfing fish and crustaceans with a sudden gape. Slow-growing and territorial, it is vulnerable to spearfishing pressure, so divers should be mindful of size and bag limits. Larger individuals are curious and will often watch a diver from a nearby ledge.