Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Eastern blue groper (Achoerodus viridis), 1790s

Eastern blue groper (Achoerodus viridis), 1790s

TAL & Dai-ichi Life Derby Collection, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW; Purchased from The Rt Hon. The 19th Earl of Derby, 2011; PXD 1098, vol. 4, f. 26

Watercolour

The Eastern blue groper changes gender, starting life as a female, changing later to male.
Eastern blue gropers inhabit shallow coastal waters, particularly in New South Wales and are commonly seen by scuba divers.
Eastern blue gropers belong to the Wrasse family, known for their distinctive colour changes.
Eastern blue gropers grow to over one metre in length.
Adult male Eastern blue gropers have bright blue colouring, whereas adult females are reddish-brown in colour.
The Eastern blue groper is the fish emblem of New South Wales, declared in 1998.