Blackspot Tuskfish

Interesting Info

• The Blackspot Tuskfish occurs in Australian waters from Shark Bay in Western Australia across northern Australia to Queensland, and south to northern New South Wales, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
• Globally, it ranges widely across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea across to southern Japan, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Samoa.
• Adults are typically greenish to bluish-grey with a prominent large black blotch on the side below the dorsal fin, which gives the species its common name.
• Juveniles are mottled brown to green with irregular white patches, providing camouflage among coral rubble and seagrass beds.
• Males are generally larger and more robust, with brighter head markings compared to females.
• Like other tuskfishes, it has tusk-like front teeth and powerful jaws, enabling it to feed on crabs, molluscs, lobsters, and sea urchins by crushing shells.
• It is one of the few reef fishes known to use “tools,” lifting and smashing sea urchins or shells against hard rocks to break them open.
• This species is diurnal, foraging during the day and resting in caves or reef crevices at night.
• It is a protogynous hermaphrodite: individuals begin life as females, with some transitioning to males as they grow larger and more dominant.
• Spawning occurs in summer, usually in pairs or small groups, with fertilised eggs released into the water column to drift with currents.
• The Blackspot Tuskfish is a long-lived species, with individuals recorded at over 20 years of age.
• Divers and snorkellers often encounter this species patrolling reef slopes and sandy channels, where its large size and bold markings make it easy to identify.
• The Blackspot Tuskfish is highly valued as both a commercial and recreational catch across northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific.