Life below the water - meet the gender-fluid Blue Groper

This fascinating species of wrasse is highly sought out by divers because of its inquisitive nature and beautiful colouring.

But what’s especially amazing about the Blue Groper is that it actually changes its sex throughout its lifetime.

In fact, they don’t start out as blue. As juveniles they are green in colour with blotches of white and then they become females that are reddish-brown in colour. When they mature at about the age of 18 they transform into the beautiful male ‘Blue’ Groper that we know and love.

Found along the east coast of Australia the Blue Groper or Achoerodus viridis can reach up to 120 cm in length. He loves to snack on organisms like urchins using his very powerful jaws, perfecting the ability to flip them over and eat them from the bottom, avoiding their less tasty spines.

Gropers spawn between the months of July and October each year and they release their sperm and gametes into the water where they meet and form larvae. As the larvae settles and grows, they use sheltered seagrass habitats because of its protection from predators.

The aquatic reserve of Cabbage Tree Bay with its beautiful rocky reefs offers the perfect sanctuary for these creatures to forage and mature, with the males sometimes reaching the age of 35 years.

Watch our video to find out more.