Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) is one of the most commonly seen fish reef fishes in the waters of southern Australia. The blue groper is not a true groper but is actually a large wrasse (family Labridae). It can be found from southern Queensland to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. The full grown male is a beautiful blue whilst the smaller females are green-brown to red-brown. It is an inquisitive species and will often follow divers looking for a feed of sea urchins or any other creatures they may disturb.
Adults establish territories on rocky coastal reefs and can be found down to depths of 50 metres. They will stay in the same area for long periods of time. The blue groper has strong crunching teeth and eats a variety of invertebrates such as sea urchins, cunjevoi, crabs, mussels and other molluscs. It grows to a maximum size of 1 metre.
