Toothbrush leatherjacket

Toothbrush leatherjacket
Image: Sarah Speight
Community type

Reef fish

Habitat type

Rocky reefs, kelp beds and inter-tidal zone

Native to southern Australia, the toothbrush leather jacket grows to 32 cm in length and is a light yellowish brown, with small blue spots on males and dark brown spots on females. Their name comes from the large patch of bristles on males’ sides, resembling a toothbrush. Juveniles live in schools and inhabit seagrass beds, and move to rocky reefs as they grow to adults, where they are commonly found around depths of 40 m.

Much of the text within the species area of our website was written by Veronica Thorpe, as part of the Derwent River Wildlife Guide (2000).

The DEP has developed a variety of classroom and outdoor activities focused around the key estuary habitats of tidal wetlands, salt marshes and rocky reefs. These include classroom materials, online resources, interpretive walks, games and sensory experiences.