There are some ten different species of goatfish that can be found in Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, some are tropical visitors but there are also quite a number of resident species too. As horrific winds blew from the west and south all weekend, prompting weather warnings all along the coast, the bay was flat and visibility 10+ metres, so diving was beckoning.
The goatfish are quite amusing fish to watch as they patrol around usually in shoals, sifting the sand with their two barbels below the mouth. These flexible protrusions work prolifically looking for food particles. Often individual adults will be seen with an eastern maori wrasse, the latter opportunistically waiting for a morsel to be dislodged or flushed out, as the goatfish does his work.
Fish of Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Sydney 