Checkerboard Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres hortulanus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 27cm
Identification: TP - Green with blue bar on each scale; mauve or orange bands on head, pale green area behind head, yellow spot below front of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Sand patches of lagoons and seaward reefs to 35m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Line Is. and French Polynesia. S. Japan to S.E. Australia.

Canarytop Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 11cm
Identification: TP - Bright golden-yellow upper body, white below. IP - Similar, but with 3 black spots on dorsal fin.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble fringes of coral reefs in 20-40m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Maldives and Andaman Sea to Bali.

Canary Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres chrysus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: IP - Bright golden yellow; 2-3 black spots on dorsal fin. TP - Similar, but with only one black spot on front of dorsal fin and faint orange bands on head, breast and median fins.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble edges of reefs to 60m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - Christmas I. to Indonesia and Micronesia. S. Japan to N.W. & E. Australia.

Black-Eared Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres melasmapomus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 14cm
Identification: TP - Lavender body and red tail, green head with blue-edged orange bands; large blue-edged black spot behind eye, smaller spot on upper tail base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Steep outer reefs slopes in 10-56m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Cocos-Keeling to N.W. Australia, Philippines, S. Japan, Micronesia and French Polynesia.

Black Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres melanochir
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: IP - Purple with black spots and black scale margins on side; prominent black spot covering pectoral fin base. TP - Similar, but with yellow tail fin.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs or small groups.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble fringe of coral reefs in 5-25m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines. Taiwan to W. Australia.

Axilspot Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres podostigma
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 19cm
Identification: TP - Pale brown upper head, white below and white tail base; black scales on body with contrasting yellow-brown margins; black spot on pectoral fin base and ventral fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coastal and lagoon reefs in 2-12m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia, Sabah in N. Borneo and Philippines.

Argus Wrasse

Scientific Name: Halichoeres argus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 11cm
Identification: JP/IP - Dark green to greenish brown with white spots on scales. TP - Reddish with light green polygon on each scale and green back.
Favourite: Form aggregations.
Hide-out: Seagrass and weed-covered reefs near shore to 5m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Sri Lanka to Fiji. Taiwan to Australia.

Candystripe Wrasse

Scientific Name: Conniella apterygia
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: TP - White and red stripes; unique among wrasses in lacking ventral fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups of up to 10 individuals.
Hide-out: Rubble bottoms with scattered coral heads on outer reefs in 25-50m.
Location: Localized - Offshore reefs of N.W. Australia.

Cigar Wrasse

Scientific Name: Cheilio inermis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: TP - Elongate; shades of green with several white spots along back.
Favourite: Solitary or with several females; often shadowed bu other fish predators.
Hide-out: Usually in weedy areas or seagrass beds of lagoons, reef flats and coastal reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Hawaii and Easter I. in southeastern Pacific. S.W. Japan to S.E. Australia.

Bird Wrasse

Scientific Name: Gomphosus varius
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 28cm
Identification: TP - Slender body with greatly elongate snout; blue-green head, green body; dark streak on pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reefs to 35m.
Location: Pacific - Indonesia to Hawaii, Marquesas and Rapa Is. in French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

Whitebanded Pygmy Wrasse

Scientific Name: Wetmorella albofasciata
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Brown; pair of inward slanting white bands on mid-side, pair of white bands radiate from eye, thin white bar on tail base, black spots on dorsal, anal and ventral fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Crevices and recesses of lagoon and seaward reefs in 8-42m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Hawaii and Society Is. in French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

Sharpnose Wrasse

Scientific Name: Wetmorella nigropinnata
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Red to brownish; yellow bar behind eye and another across tail base, white-edged black spot on ventral, rear dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Recesses, caves and crevices of lagoon and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Marquesas Is. and Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Slingjaw Wrasse

Scientific Name: Epibulus insidiator
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: TP - Deep body; white head and dark body with orange back from head to mid-body; diffuse yellow mid-body bar, black outline around scales, black streak through eye.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coral-rich areas of lagoons and outer or seaward reefs to 42m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

Yellowtail Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses meleagrides
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 22cm
Identification: TP - Reddish to greenish brown with vertical blue streak on each scale; bluish crescent followed by white margin on tail.
Favourite: Usually solitary or form small groups with females.
Hide-out: Coral, rubble and sand of seaward reefs in 4-60m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia and Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia. S. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Yellow-Breasted Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses twistii
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 18cm
Identification: TP - Purplish brown with horizontal rows of small white spots, yellow lower head and forebody; ragged yellow bar on mid-side.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs in 3-30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia and Tuamotu Is. In French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

White-Spotted Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses melanurus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: TP - Black with rows of bluish white spots, yellow foretail; broad yellow irregular stripe extends from pectoral fin to tail.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs; bury in sand at night.
Hide-out: Outer reefs and lagoons, most common in shallow but occasionally to 30m.
Location: Pacific - Indonesia, S. Micronesia to French Polynesia and Easter Is. in southeastern Pacific. S.W. Japan to Australia.

New Guinea Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses neoguinaicus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 17cm
Identification: TP - Yellowish white with pale blue vertical lines on scales; upper head dark with blue line markings, salmon, blue and black spot behind edge of upper gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coral-rich seaward slopes in 4-30m.
Location: West Pacific - E. Indonesia, Philippines and Palau in Micronesia to Fiji. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Lined Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses lineatus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: TP - Black with white spots or horizontal lines on sides; white bar across base of black tail.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups; bury in sand at night.
Hide-out: Outer reefs and lagoons in 20-45m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Bali in Indonesia.

Goldstripped Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses lennardi
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 28cm
Identification: IP - Blue with yellow-gold occasionally broken stripes and markings; blue margins on fins.
Favourite: Solitary, in pairs or small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs in 3-24m.
Location: Localized - N.W. Australia.

Geographic Wrasse

Scientific Name: Anampses geographicus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: TP - Brown to olive with thin dark bluish outlines on scales; line markings on head, narrow bluish borders on dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Mix with algae and soft corals on reef tops and slopes to 25m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Mauritius and S.W. Australia to Caroline Is. in Micronesia and Fiji. S.W. Japan to S.E. Australia.