Southern Velvetfish

Interesting Info

• The Southern Velvetfish is a strange, well-camouflaged fish that looks more like a lump of seaweed or sponge than a living animal.
• It is found only in southern Australia, from Victoria, Tasmania, across South Australia, and west to Shark Bay in Western Australia.
• This species belongs to the velvetfish family (Aploactinidae), named for their rough, velvety skin texture caused by tiny prickly scales.
• The Southern Velvetfish has mottled reddish, brown, or purplish colours, patterned with blotches and frills that make it vanish against sponges, rocks, or seaweed.
• Its broad head, small eyes, and frilly skin flaps break up its outline, a perfect disguise in temperate reefs.
• This fish has venomous spines in its dorsal fin that can deliver a painful sting if handled carelessly.
• It spends most of its time resting on the seabed, waiting to ambush small fishes and crustaceans that come within reach.
• Velvetfish strike quickly, opening their big mouths to suck in prey in a split second.
• They live in shallow bays, rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and around jetties.
• Juveniles are often found hiding among algae and seagrass, where their blotchy colours blend with weed.
• Breeding occurs in summer, when females lay clusters of eggs that are guarded until hatching.
• The lifespan is not well studied, but related scorpionfish live around 5–7 years, and the Southern Velvetfish is likely similar.
• Predators include larger reef fish and marine birds, though the velvetfish’s camouflage and venomous spines help keep them safe.
• The species was named after Frederick Miles, a 19th-century naturalist who collected Australian fishes.