The Morwongs are in one of the many families that belong to the order Perciformes (which means Perch-Likes). The Family Cheilodactylidae are known as the Morwongs and literally translates to mean lips, fingers and toes.
Morwongs are distributed widely in the northern and southern hemispheres and are a common sighting in Sydney. They usually have large rubbery lips, long elongated pectoral fins and their tails are forked. Being part of the 'Perch-Like' order it is no surprise that they are bottom dwellers and are often found on the reef resting on the bottom.
In Sydney we see the Red Morwongs mostly, and they can grow really quite large too. The Crested Morwongs are really pretty and we see them pretty regularly at many dive sites. The Blue Morwongs are less common and are seen more often during the winter months. I love their lips - so pretty!
More information and pictures about the species seen in Sydney are available in the pages below: