The Black Reef Leatherjacket (Eubalichthys bucephalus) is a common leatherjacket species that belongs to the leatherjacket family Monacanthidae. The species can be found in the waters of southern Australia and it can be found from Port Stephens on the east coast around the southern part of Australia to the Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia. It has not been recorded in the waters of Tasmania.
The species can be found on coastal reefs and will often be found on reefs that have a good coverage of kelp. They can often be found in pairs and they were generally live in the same area for a good period of time. The species is easy to recognise by it’s dark brown to black body colour and it’s eyes which have a large white ring around them. Juveniles look slightly different as they are often brown or green in colour and they have spots which fade away as they get older. The Black Reef Leatherjacket grows to a maximum length of approximately 40cm.
