Crested morwong
Goniistius vestitus (formerly Cheilodactylus vestitus)
Illustration: Bloom by Day
A white fish in bold black livery: a broad stripe running from the tall front dorsal spines down into the lower lobe of the tail, with bars across the nape and over the eye, and bony knobs on the snout. It props itself on rock ledges on its long pectoral fins and lets divers get quite close.
how to recognise it
- a broad dark stripe running from the front dorsal-fin spines to the LOWER lobe of the tail
- a dark band from just before the dorsal fin down to the belly
- a dark bar from the nape to the base of the pectoral fin
- dark bars from above the eyes to the gill cover
- knob-like bony bumps in front of the eyes and above the upper lip
- tall front dorsal-fin spines
Field marks read from Fishes of Australia, 2026-10-16. Our wording, their facts. Max size 35 cm TL.
facts
- habitat
- rocky
- size
- ~25 cm, to 35 cm
Max size from Fishes of Australia (35 cm TL); the typical size is Bluebird’s, not from a cited source
- records near here
- 53 at 3 of 6 spots
A count of occurrence records near these spots, not abundance. Records are where someone looked.
when it has been recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
A gap means no record in the sample, not absence.
the rule
no QLD rule listed — check before you dive
no NSW rule listed — check before you dive
no closed season recorded for this species — that is not the same as open; check the official page
Rules checked 2026-10-13 against qld.gov.au
Rules change. Check before you dive.
Occurrence data: Atlas of Living Australia (ala.org.au), CC-BY 4.0.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.