Plectropomus leopardus
- Commonly 40 to 70 cm, up to 1.2 mSize
- Year roundBest time
- Least Concern (IUCN); managed fishery in QueenslandStatus
What to look for
Orange-red to deep crimson with small bright blue spots over the whole body and a rounded tail, plus a wide mouth full of fine teeth. They can darken or pale in seconds. Several close relatives share the reef, including the bar-cheeked and footballer trout; the oceanic coral trout of the outer reefs is bigger and paler with larger spots.
Cleaning stations
One of the best times to watch a coral trout is at a cleaning station, where it hangs open-mouthed and changes colour while tiny cleaner wrasse pick parasites from its gills and teeth. Stay a few metres back and the show continues. They are the most valuable fish in the reef’s commercial line fishery, and the green zones hold noticeably bigger ones.
Where to see it
Dive with us to see it
You might also see
- Potato codThe famous friendly giants of the Cod Hole on the Ribbon Reefs, a liveaboard highlight north of Cairns.
- Māori wrasseThe reef’s gentle giant: two metres of blue-green fish with a hump on its head and a face full of tattoos, happy to follow divers around.
- SweetlipsStriped, spotted and thick-lipped, hanging in patient schools under the overhangs by day.
