Species of the Derwent

A variety of unique communities of plants and animals live in the Derwent Estuary, specially adapted for life between land and sea. Little penguins, sea dragons, black swans, platypus and dolphins are just some of the many species that call the estuary home. Explore and learn about these organisms, their role in food webs, and the threats they face.

In this section

Toothbrush leatherjacket

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, including classroom materials, online resources, interpretive walks, games and sensory experience. These are focused around the key estuary habitats.

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