Find a Fish
Coral Cod
Cephalopholis miniata (Forsskål, 1775)
A Coral Cod at a depth of 15m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales, January 2000. View larger image.
A Coral Cod at a depth of 12m, "Pixie's Pinnacle", Ribbon Reef #10, Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, Queensland, June 2002. View larger image.
Head of a Coral Cod at a depth of 14m, "Lighthouse", Ribbon Reef #10, Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, Queensland, June 2002. View larger image.
The Coral Cod can be recognised by its pattern of bright blue spots on an orange-red background. These spots are smaller than the size of the pupil, and cover the head, body and median fins. Juvenile Coral Cod are orange to yellow.
This species grows to 41cm in length.
The Coral Cod is usually seen in caves and under ledges. It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West and Central Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the central Western Australian coast, around the tropical north, and down the east coast to northern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 507.
