The Wildcare Helpline is a telephone referral service operated by volunteers on behalf of the department. 

Anemonefish are exquisite little fish in the tropical damselfish family. They are popular pets in aquariums, and were the main characters in the animated Disney film Finding Nemo.

Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) are large, black and white birds with massive pouched bills. The bird’s pouch is used mainly as a ‘scoop net’ for catching small fish and shrimps.

The Baler shell is a type of large sea snail that belongs to the gastropod family Volutidae.

The blue manna crab (Portunus pelagicus) is the only ten-legged crustacean found around the entire Australian continent. 

Blue-ringed octopuses are molluscs and, along with their close relatives the squid and cuttlefish, are the most highly developed invertebrates.

Butterfly cod are spectacular fish with brilliant colouring and long defensive spiny fins.

Cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs. They have ten arms and a head bigger than their body. They can quickly change color to camouflage into their surroundings.

Flounder is a group of flatfish species that are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world. They are known for their distinctive body shape and swimming style.

Giant clams are the world’s largest living marine bivalve and can live 100 years or more. They stay permanently attached to one spot for life.

Despite being a fearsome predator, the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a threatened species. 

The grey nurse shark is a large, stout-bodied shark that can grow up to 3.6 meters in length and weigh up to 230 kilograms. It has a unique pattern of spots and stripes on its body which helps it blend into the ocean floor. 

Hammerhead sharks are known for their unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a “hammer” shape called a cephalofoil.

Hermit crabs are fascinating creatures that have adapted to occupy empty scavenged mollusk shells to protect their fragile exoskeletons.

The leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques) is one of three species of sea dragon found only in Australian waters and nowhere else in the world.

Mantis shrimps are colorful marine crustaceans that have forelimbs modified to spear or stun their prey. 

Moray eels are fascinating creatures with elongated bodies and sharp teeth. They have a second set of jaws called pharyngeal jaws that extend into their throat to help them swallow prey.

Nudibranchs are a family of opistobranchs (sea slugs) within the phylum Mollusca (molluscs). They are found throughout the world’s oceans, but are most abundant in shallow, tropical waters. Their scientific name, Nudibranchia, means naked gills.

Oystercatchers are a group of waders found on coasts worldwide. They have black upper parts and white underparts. There are 11 species of oystercatchers in the world.

Potato cod is a giant fish that can weigh up to 100 kg and grow up to 2 meters long. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region and are known for their friendly nature with divers.

The red-tailed tropicbird is a seabird with almost all-white plumage, a black mask and a red bill. It also has long red tail-streamers.

Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates of the order Actiniaria. They are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant because of their colourful appearance.

Sea snakes are fascinating creatures that inhabit marine environments. They are closely related to venomous terrestrial snakes in Australia.

Sea stars are marine invertebrates that have five arms surrounding an indistinct central disk. They feed by extending their stomach out through their mouth and digesting prey. They can live up to 35 years.

Sea urchins are small, spiny, and round animals that live in all the earth’s oceans. They are protected by calcareous plates and spines and have a hard shell called a ‘test’.

Seagrasses are marine plants that grow in shallow waters and form meadows in estuaries and shallow coastal waters with sandy or muddy bottoms. 

Seaweed is a term given to a variety of sea vegetables ranging from algae to marine plants. It is used for food and bio yarn production and has health benefits.

Sea sponges are some of the most diverse, abundant, and simple animals in the ocean. They are normally found in the world’s oceans and seas.

The West Australian Seahorse is a large species that is endemic to Western Australian waters. They vary in color and grow to about 22 cm in length. They feed on minute crustaceans and plankton that drift by.