Dive sites2
Marine life profile
Old Wives
Recorded at 2 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Old Wives around the world
It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Countries1
Animal groupReef Fish
Safety profileGenerally Harmless
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
Use body shape, fin outline, color pattern and swimming style to separate it from the surrounding reef community.
How It Behaves
It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Special Ability
Precise fins and a body shaped for its niche let it turn, hover or accelerate exactly where food and shelter demand.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Move slowly at the same depth, avoid swimming directly at it and let the fish resume its normal behavior.
Safety
Usually safe to observe at a respectful distance. Never feed, corner or touch a fish, especially near nests or cleaning stations.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
Old Wives is closely adapted to its habitat, and patient observation reveals details that a quick swim-by misses.
Where to Find
Look around coral structure, rocky reef, wrecks and current lines where shelter and food meet.
Known countries
Australia
Sightings map
Old Wives locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
The Monument
Australia
Have a look at the entry/exit before gearing up because the seas can make this spot hard to get in and out of. Assuming the seas are favourable, a good entry point is down the track onto the rock platform, where you will find in a small inlet. With many boulders and rock walls, you should find balls of Catfish, Wobbegongs, Bream, Cuttlefish, Moray eels and Old wives. Weedy sea dragons are the star of the show here as well as the chance to see Pygmy pipe horses. You will also see Nudibranches-a-plenty and lots of soft life such as Feather duster worms, ascidians and a range of corals.
Tourist Rocks
Australia
A tricky little shore entry but worth it! This site is a short 30m surface swim before you drop down into usually clear water and beautiful coral formations.