Old Wife

About

The Old Wife is easily recognised by its deep compressed body, very tall "spikey" dorsal and anal fins and prominent dark brown to black and white bands.

The derogatory standard name of the species apparently refers to the sound made when a fish is caught on hook and line. The teeth are ground together supposedly producing the sound of an 'old wife'.Old wives are commonly found in pairs or large schools.
Enoplosus armatus is the only species in the family Enoplosidae

Size

The fish can grow up to 50 cm long

Habitat

Locally commonly found around shallow coastal reefs and over seagrass beds often in large schools

Distribution

It is found in southern waters from southern Queensland to south-western Western Australia

Gallery

Select any photo or video to view it large with its details and credits.

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Local Sightings

1 recorded sighting in and around the area.

References & citations (3)

1. Dianne J. Bray, Enoplosus armatus in Fishes of Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)
2. The Australian Museum (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)
3. The Atlas of Living Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)