Sandpaper Fish

Paratrachichthys trailli

The sandpaper fish (Paratrachichthys trailli) is a slimehead in the family Trachichthyidae found in southern Australian and New Zealand waters. Adults reach about 15 cm with a deep, compressed body covered with extremely rough ctenoid scales that give the fish its sandpaper-like texture and common name. Coloration is reddish to pinkish with large eyes adapted for nocturnal activity. This species inhabits rocky reefs, caves, and overhangs at depths of 20-500 meters, though more commonly encountered by divers in the 20-100 m range. Sandpaper fish shelter in small groups in caves and under ledges during the day, emerging at night to feed on small crustaceans and zooplankton. Their rough skin texture is immediately noticeable to any diver who spots them, and their reddish coloration and large eyes give them a distinctive appearance among temperate reef fish communities.