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Related FAQs: Wrasses In General,
Wrasses,
Wrasse
Selection, Wrasse Compatibility,
Wrasse
Feeding, Wrasse Diseases, Related Articles:
Wrasses,
Anampses,
Hogfishes/Bodianus,
Maori Wrasses/Cheilinus & Oxycheilinus,
Fairy/Velvet
Wrasses/Cirrhilabrus, Coris &
Coris gaimard,
Bird Wrasses/Gomphosus,
Halichoeres,
Hemigymnus
& Hologymnosus Wrasses,
Cleaner Wrasses/Labroides,
Tubelip
Wrasses/Labropsis, Leopard Wrasses/Macropharyngodon,
Pencil
Wrasses/Pseudojuloides, Razorfishes, Pseudocheilinus,
Stethojulis,
Thalassoma
Over to other
Regional Accounts of
Wrasses:
Wrasses
of Indonesia
Part
Three of Three
To Part
One, Two,
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By Bob Fenner |
Hemigymnus fasciatus |
Genera Hemigymnus & Hologymnosus:
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Hemigymnus fasciatus (Bloch 1792), the Barred Thicklip Wrasse (2).
Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, east to Tahiti. To thirty two inches long
in the wild. Pictured are a six inch juvenile in an aquarium, Fiji, one of
fifteen inches in N. Sulawesi and a two
foot adult in the Maldives.
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Hemigymnus melapterus (Bloch 1791), the Blackeye Thicklip Wrasse (2).
Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, east to Tahiti. To thirty six inches in the
wild. Shown are a too-small, two inch juvenile in captivity, a four inch
individual in Fiji (about the best aquarium starting size), and a sixteen inch
adult in the Red Sea.
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Hologymnosus annulatus (Lacepede 1801), the Ring Wrasse (2).
Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea east to the Marianas. To sixteen inches in
length. Here are images of a juvenile (3"), female and male in the Red Sea.
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Hologymnosus doliatus (Lacepede 1801), the Pastel Ring or Candycane Wrasse (2).
Indo-Pacific east to the Line Islands. To
eighteen inches. Images: juveniles and adult female in an aquarium.
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Genus Labrichthys: The sole member of this genus is the
Tubelip Wrasse, Labrichthys unilineatus (Guichenot 1847). Indo-Pacific,
east Africa to Samoa. To seven inches in length in the wild. Below: a juvenile
off Heron Island, Australia a female in Pulau Redang, Malaysia, and a four inch
male in a collector's aquarium in Fiji.
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Genus Labroides:
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Labroides bicolor Fowler & Bean 1928, the Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse (3), easily recognized,
easily lost Indo Pacific beauty. Indo-Pacific, east Africa to Micronesia. To
five and a half inches in length. Here are images of a juvenile and adult in
Maldives and Fiji respectively.
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Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes 1839), the common or Blue Cleaner Wrasse (3). Thousands
will be collected today and thousands will die. One out of thousands lives for a year in
captivity. Indo-Pacific, east Africa, Red Sea to the Marquesas. To four and a
half inches in length. Juvenile in Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia, intermediate
phase in N. Sulawesi and an adult, likely for only a
short while, in captivity.
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| Labroides pectoralis Randall & Springer 1975, the
Blackspot Cleaner Wrasse. Indo-Pacific, Christmas Island to the Line
Islands. To four and a half inches in length. One in Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia,
another off of Queensland, Australia. |
 
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Labroides rubrolabiatus Randall
1958, the Red Lip Cleaner Wrasse (3), of the
Pacific’s Oceania ought to be left in the sea as well. To four inches in
length. On a Moray Eel (Gymnothorax javanicus) in Moorea, French
Polynesia, a juvenile in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas and an adult in Fiji.
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Genus Labropsis: Tubemouth Wrasses
| Labropsis alleni Randall 1981, Allen's Tubelip
Wrasse. Indo-Australian; Philippines, Marshall's, Solomon's, Indonesia. To
10 cm. Fishbase
link. Adults likely feed on coral polyps, juveniles are facultative
cleaners. N. & S. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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| Labropsis manabei Schmidt 1931, Northern Tubelip
Wrasse. Western Pacific; Southern Japan, Philippines, Indonesia. To 10 cm.
Fishbase
link. N. Sulawesi pic. |
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| Labropsis xanthonata Randall 1981, the Comet, Yellowback or V-Tail Tubelip Wrasse
(3). An
expensive addition from the South Pacific. Maldives image of juvenile stage,
aquarium image of adult. |
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Genus Macropharyngodon: Leopard Wrasses
Razorfishes and Rock Movers:
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This genus contains the most prominent "Rock Mover" or
Razorfish species, The Dragon Wrasse, N. taeniourus (Lacepede 1801)(formerly in the genus
Hemipteronotus). There are actually a few other genera (e.g. Xyrichthys) and
several species of these specialized, wedge-headed fishes in the Worlds tropical seas.
Most are too plain, or get too rambunctious to be of interest/use to aquarists. All are
prodigious diggers and movers of decor that need digging room, substrate and well
assembled decor to prevent toppling. Novaculichthys taeniourus
(Lay & Bennett 1839) the Rock Mover, Dragon or Indian
Wrasse (2) is a very hardy fish that is more often killed by aquarists than dies from
other influences. As an aquarium specimen this species requires regular "beefy"
feedings of animal-based foods. It is a gluttonous feeder that quickly starves if
underfed. Not for reef tanks, Razorfishes are territorial and aggressive fishes. To about
a foot in length. Juvenile in the wild (Hawai'i), one in captivity and adult in Hawai'i shown. One
other species in this genus. Not used in the trade.
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Genus Oxycheilinus:
Oxycheilinus bimaculatus (Valenciennes
1840), the Twinspot Wrasse (2) is right about the right
size at 6 inches maximum, but this shy beauty really takes a beating in the process of
collection, holding and shipping from the wild. Indo-Pacific out to the Hawaiian
Islands. Formerly placed in the genus Cheilinus. At right, a male
and female in Hawai'i. Below: a juvenile,
intermediate and adult in N. Sulawesi pictured.
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Oxycheilinus celebicus (Bleeker 1853), the Celebes or Slender Splendour Wrasse (2) also
grows to about nine inches and perishes for the same "induced" reasons as the
Twinspot. West-central Pacific. These two and four inch specimens in Pulau Redang,
Malaysia.
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| Oxycheilinus digrammus (Lacepede 1801), the Cheeklined Wrasse (2) is probably the most
commonly offered member of the genus. Initially healthy specimens do well, but most are
received from the wild in poor condition. Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea,
out to Samoa. To sixteen inches in length in the wild. Here are some images
taken in (the first at right of a tiny one inch or so specimen in Pulau Redang,
Malaysia, adults below in the Maldives, the other two in the Red Sea to illustrate
how varying this species appears. |
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Oxycheilinus orientalis (Gunther 1862), the Oriental
Maori Wrasse. Western Pacific. To six inches in length. Replaced by Cheilinus
mentalis in the Indian Ocean.
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No pic |
| Oxycheilinus unifasciatus (Streets 1877), the Ring
Tail or One-Banded Wrasse (2) is the widest ranging
member of the genus. Found across the Pacific’s Oceania through the Indian Ocean and
Red Sea, and growing only to about a foot, it still does poorly in captivity.
Formerly placed in the genus Cheilinus. At right a subadult and adult
color phase individual in Hawai'i, Below juveniles in Hawaii and a bit older
one in Roratonga in the Cooks. |
 
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Genus Paracheilinus:
| Paracheilinus bellae Randall 1988, Bell's Flasher
Wrasse. Western central Pacific, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. To two
and a half inches in length. |
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| Paracheilinus carpenteri Randall & Lubbock 1981,
the Pink Flasher Wrasse. Indo-west Pacific. Philippines, Taiwan,
Indonesia. To three inches in length. Males in captivity and N. Sulawesi. |
 
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| Paracheilinus cyaneus Kuiter & Allen, 1999.
Western Central Pacific: Indonesia. To three inches in length. Found in
sheltered areas of broken coral rubble. Aquarium photo of a 5 cm. male
upper, and a P. filamentosus and males below by Hiroyuki
Tanaka. |
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| Paracheilinus filamentosus Allen 1974, the
Filamentous Wrasse. Indo-Pacific. To six inches total length. Lives in
rubble zones, near the bottom, feeding on zooplankton. At right, an
aquarium photo of a male by Hiroyuki Tanaka. Below: Aquarium image, and
an excited and not males (and female, lower) I chased in N. Sulawesi. |
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| Paracheilinus flavianalis Kuiter & Allen 1999.
Eastern Indian Ocean: Indonesia and northwestern Australia. To 8.5 cm. in
length. Pix of two males displaying by Hiroyuki Tanaka. |
 
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Genus Pseudocheilinus:
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Pseudocheilinus evanidus Jordan & Evermann
1903, the Pin-Striped or Striated Wrasse (2). I like this fish’s other
common names, the Disappearing or Vanishing Wrasse for its bashfulness. To
a grand size of three inches. Indo-Pacific, including Red Sea and Hawai'i.
Two in the Red Sea.
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| Pseudocheilinus hexataenia (Bleeker 1857), the
Sixline Wrasse (2). A feisty, though small (to 4") a reef tank
species. Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea in its distribution. Aquarium
and Queensland, Australia images. |
 
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Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins 1901, the
Eight-Lined Wrasse (2) comes in two color morphs, one more orange, the
other more pinkish in body hue. Both can become agonistic toward other
fishes. Under-crowding, over-decorating and keen observation are called
for here, as always. Indo-Pacific, including Hawai'i.. To five and a
half inches in length. Both color morphs shown in captivity.
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| Pseudodax moluccanus (Valenciennes 1839), the
Chiseltooth Wrasse. Monotypic. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to the Tuamotus. Up to
a foot in length in the wild. Occasionally imported for the aquarium
trade, rarely lives due to captive trauma. A juvenile and adult in the
upper Red Sea shown. |
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| Pseudojuloides severnsi Bellwood & Randall, 2000.
Indo-West Pacific; Sri Lanka, Ryukyu Islands, Indonesia. To about four
inches in length. |
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| Pteragogus cryptus (Valenciennes 1839), the
Cocktail Wrasse. Indo-West Pacific; East Africa to PNG, south to
Australia, north to Japan. To eight inches overall length. This four inch
specimen off Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia. |
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Genus Stethojulis:
Stethojulis balteata (Quoy &
Gaimard 1824), the Belted Wrasse (3), is an Hawaiian
endemic. This is the most common and hardiest member of the genus, but still has a dismal
survival rate. Two male pix and a female off of the Big Island. To six inches long.
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| Stethojulis bandanensis (Bleeker 1851), the
Red-Shoulder Wrasse. Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa to the tropical
eastern Pacific coast. To six inches in length. Shown: Males in French
Polynesia and S. Sulawesi. |
 
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| Stethojulis strigiventer (Bennett 1832), the
Stripebelly Wrasse. Females are actually striped on their abdomens. East
Africa to Samoa, Micronesians. A male off of the Whitsundays in
Queensland, Australia, and a nice grouping of females/initial phase
individuals in S. Sulawesi. |
 
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| Stethojulis trilineata (Bloch & Schneider 1801),
the Three-Lined Wrasse. Indo-West Pacific; Maldives to north Australia,
Palau, Samoa, southern Japan. To six inches in length. A washed-out male
in captivity and one in S. Sulawesi shown. |
 
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Genus Thalassoma:
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Thalassoma hardwicke (Bennett 1830), the Six-Barred Wrasse (3). Indo-Pacific, to eight
inches. The first one in the Maldives, the second in the Cooks.
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Thalassoma jansenii (Bleeker 1856), Jansen's Wrasse.
Indo-West Pacific. To eight inches. Not a great beauty but hardy by standards
for the genus (2). Specimen in a tank in a Fiji wholesaler's and Australia.
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Thalassoma lunare (Linnaeus 1758), the Moon Wrasse (2), sometimes comes in great, other
times... all die. Red Sea and Indian Ocean, to the Line Islands. Length to ten inches.
Can be more green or blue in overall coloration. Young have a dark spot on their
caudal and mid-dorsal fins. A male off of Gili
Air, Lombok, Indonesia, and female in the Red Sea.
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Thalassoma purpureum (Forsskal 1775), the Surge Wrasse (3). Indo-Pacific, to
more than one foot
long. This one in the Seychelles.
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Thalassoma quinquevittatum (Lay & Bennett 1839), the Red-Ribbon Wrasse (3). Indo-Pacific, to
six inches. Aquarium image.
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Thalassoma trilobatum (Lacepede 1801), I wish was called the Three-Line Wrasse, but
it’s another of the Christmas Wrasses (just how many labrids are green and red
anyway?)(3). To twelve inches overall length. This image taken in Hawai'i.
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| Wetmorella nigropinnata
(Seale 1901), Sharpnose or Possum Wrasse. One of two species.
Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to the Marquesas, Southern Japan, Micronesia. To
three inches in length. Lives in caves and crannies; secretive species.
Feed on small benthic invertebrates. Aquarium photo. |
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| Iniistius aneitensis (Gunther 1862), the
Yellow-Blotch Razorfish. Indo-Pacific: Chagos to Hawaiian Islands,
Micronesia. To 24 cm. Here in N. Sulawesi. |
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