Graphic tuskfish
Choerodon graphicus
Illustration: Bloom by Day
A big bluish-green tuskfish crossed by five to seven broad dusky bands, with letter-like scribble over the head and body — the name means "of writing" — and blue tusks. It patrols rubble and reef edge, and the bands fool you into thinking it is a smaller fish in shadow.
how to recognise it
- about 5 to 7 broad irregular dusky bands, in juveniles and adults alike
- a distinct dark spot on the lateral line
- a narrow bar from the rear of the eye to the upper pectoral-fin base
- large, bluish to greenish, with letter-like "writing" markings on the head and body — the name graphicus is from the Greek for writing
- adults have a second forward canine, about half the size of the first
don’t confuse with
- Blackspot tuskfish — the blackspot tuskfish has ONE dark spot near the dorsal fin and no broad dusky bands
- Purple tuskfish — the purple tuskfish has blue-edged scales and blue-and-orange stripes across the forehead, and no banding across the body
- Blue tuskfish — the blue tuskfish has a large PALE patch below the rear of the dorsal fin and blue tips on the tail lobes
- Anchor tuskfish — the anchor tuskfish has a black band right around the pectoral-fin base and a white upper tail base
Field marks read from Fishes of Australia, 2026-10-15. Our wording, their facts. Max size 80 cm TL.
facts
- habitat
- reef
- size
- ~45 cm, to 80 cm
Max size from Fishes of Australia (80 cm TL); the typical size is Bluebird’s, not from a cited source
- records near here
- 14 at 4 of 6 spots
A count of occurrence records near these spots, not abundance. Records are where someone looked.
when it has been recorded
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A gap means no record in the sample, not absence.
the rule
QLD — Min: 30cm · Combined limit: 6 in total of all tuskfish species
source
· verified 2026-10-10
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.