The Toothbrush Leatherjacket (Acanthaluteres vittiger) belongs to the Leatherjackets family Monacanthidae. It is widespread around the waters of southern Australia from Port Stephens in New South Wales around the southern coast of Australia to Jurien Bay in Western Australia. Juveniles can generally be found swimming in amongst seagrass meadows where they sometimes form small schools that move about together. Juveniles are generally bright green in colour.
The males and females are very different in appearance. Females are generally a pale brown sandy colour with a blotched pattern of white spots. The males have much brighter colours and can be yellow to grey and they often have a black head with a white stripe/bar running down the side of the body and a smaller bar that is underneath pointing towards the underside of the fish. Adults can be found in a variety of habitats on offshore coastal reefs and in the sponge gardens on inshore estuaries. The Toothbrush Leatherjacket grows to a maximum size of 32cm.
These images are of a female Toothbrush Leatherjacket.
