Velvet Leatherjacket
The Velvet Leatherjacket is a bit of a one-off in Sydney - only one has ever been identified.
We saw this one in Mosman and had no idea what it was until our friends at the Australian Museum identified it for us. It was the first time it has been recorded in this region. It is now officially the 577th fish species to be identified in Sydney.
Leatherjacket get their name from their very tough skin, but although this one's skin is tough, it still looks soft as velvet.
This rare species of Leatherjacket has the ability to change it's colour to match its surroundings. It was purple velvet when we photographed it, but a few seconds later it was a completely different colour - the words 'amazing techicoloured' spring to mind.