The state of New South Wales has a number of emblems including a flower (waratah), a gemstone (black opal), a bird (kookaburra), a marsupial (the platypus) and two fish, one of which is a 370-million-year-old fossil and the other is the Blue Groper. The latter is an extremely abundant fish found on rocky reefs, the former may have lived long before even Australia existed.

At the national level, there are some well-known emblems, such as the wattle and the opal. Even some cities have adopted emblems, such as Sydney, which has an official flower, the lantern banksia (Banksia ericifolia). Brisbane has the koala as a city animal and the golden wattle as its flower.

So, should Wollongong have an emblem from its natural environment? And, if so, why not a fish?

Wollongong is a coastal city with strong connections to its marine environment and an animal from the sea would seem to be appropriate.

I’d like to suggest the Eastern Blue Devil fish as our emblem. It’s one of the coolest-looking fish around, is endemic (only found) on the east coast of Australia and is certainly found in the waters off Wollongong. It grows to about 40cm in length and lives in small caves and crevices on rocky reefs down to a depth of about 50m or so. This species is fully protected.

So, why would the Eastern Blue Devil be a good emblem for Wollongong? It’s spectacular looking, just like our scenery; it’s rare, just like our coast; and it’s easy to overlook but, once seen, it’s hard to forget and you want to see more!

Read more: Big blue gap: Scientist calls for Illawarra marine tourism plan