Rust-Banded Wrasse

Scientific Name: Pseudocoris aurantiofasciatus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: TP - Dark blue-gray; several narrow black bars just behind pectoral fin (may have orange bars between), narrow white bar across rear body.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 25-50m.
Location: Pacific - S. Japan and Indonesia to Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia.

Yellowtail Coris

Scientific Name: Coris gaimard
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: TP - Variable from shades of blue to green and red with yellow tail; bright yellow to green mid-body bar, brilliant blue spots rear body and tail base.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble bottoms adjacent to coral reefs in 3-50m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Indonesia to Micronesia, Hawaii and French Polynesia. S. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe I.

Western King Wrasse

Scientific Name: Coris auricularis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: TP - Shades of red to maroon with white chin; white bar followed by scarlet bar behind pectoral fin, dark spot on rear gill cover, dark upper margin on pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Rocky reefs or coral areas in 2-40m.
Location: Abrolhos Is. south of Coral Bay in W. Australia.

Spottail Coris

Scientific Name: Coris caudimacula
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: TP - White undercolor; 6-7 green to brown bars on back intersected by pale lateral line, black spot on front of dorsal fin, often dark spot on tail base.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Sand, rubble and weed-covered bottoms around coastal, lagoon and outer reefs to 25m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to N.W. Australia and Indonesia.

Double Header

Scientific Name: Coris bulbifrons
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 140cm
Identification: TP - Blue-gray to greenish; distinctive hump on forehead.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Rocky reefs and coral areas in 5-30m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - New South Wales in S.E. Australia and Lord Howe I.

Clown Coris

Scientific Name: Coris aygula
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: IP - A white bar separates light gray head and forebody from dark gray rear body.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble patches near reefs in 2-30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Micronesia, Line Is, French Polynesia and east to Ducie I. S. Japan to S.E. Australia and Howe I.

Central Pacific Coris

Scientific Name: Coris centralis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: TP/IP - Whitish with brownish mid-lateral stripe that is usually broken into separate blotches. TP - Usually with a second row of blotches.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Commonly over sand and rubble bottoms of outer reefs in 5-46m.
Location: Central Pacific - Phoenix and Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific.

Yellowbar Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Scarus schlegeli
Family: Parrotfishes - Scaridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Dark green to blue except lighter on upper head and foreback; short bright yellow bar on mid-back continues as pale bar below.
Favourite: Solitary or groups.
Hide-out: Coral-rich areas of coastal, lagoon and outer reefs to 50m.
Location: Pacific - E. Indonesia to French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Greenthroat Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Scarus prasiognathos
Family: Parrotfishes - Scaridae
Maximum Size: 70cm
Identification: Dark green with yellowish upper head and green below; broad green band across snout.
Favourite: Often form large aggregations.
Hide-out: Reef flats and seaward slopes in 3-25m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Seychelles and Maldives to New Ireland east of Papua New Guinea, north to S.W. Japan.

Indonesian Sweetlips

Scientific Name: Diagramma melanacrum
Family: Sweetlips - Haemulidae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: Gray with brown spotting on body, larger blackish spots on yellow dorsal and tail fins, black ventral and anal fins. Large juveniles have combination of stripes and longitudinal rows of spots.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups over sand bottoms.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and lagoons in 3-40m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Malaysian Peninsula, Indonesia and Philippines.

Diagonal-Banded Sweetlips

Scientific Name: Plectorhinchus lineatus
Family: Sweetlips - Haemulidae
Maximum Size: 48cm
Identification: White with black body bands and white belly; lips and fins yellow; spotted dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups; generally nocturnally but drift in the open during the day.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and seaward reefs to 35m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia, north to S.W. Japan.

Ribbon Sweetlips

Scientific Name: Plectorhinchus polytaenia
Family: Sweetlips - Haemulidae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Bright yellow with bold pattern of black-edged pale blue stripes running from head to tail.
Favourite: Solitary or may form small resting groups during the day; actively forage at night on small invertebrates.
Hide-out: Coastal and seaward reefs in 5-40m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Papua New Guinea and N.W. Australia.

Oriental Sweetlips

Scientific Name: Plectorhinchus vittatus
Family: Sweetlips - Haemulidae
Maximum Size: 85cm
Identification: White with black stripes, lips and fins yellow; spotted dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups; generally nocturnally but drift in the open during the day.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and seaward reefs in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - E. Africa to Australia and Samoa, north to S.W. Japan.

Greenlip Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Scarus virdifucatus
Family: Parrotfishes - Scaridae
Maximum Size: 32cm
Identification: Shades of green to blue to purplish; blue-green cheek/gill cover with variable mark behind mouth, blue borders on dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coastal, lagoon and outer reefs to 15m.
Location: Indian Ocean - E. Africa, Aldabra, Seychelles, Maldives to Sumatra and Bali in Indonesia.

Striped Sweetlips

Scientific Name: Plectorhinchus lessonii
Family: Sweetlips - Haemulidae
Maximum Size: 48cm
Identification: White with 4-5 brown stripes on upper body, white unmarked lower body, yellow lips; broken lines on head, spots on yellowish dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and seaward reefs to 35m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Malaysian Peninsula and S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Blue-Barred Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Scarus ghobban
Family: Parrotfishes - Scaridae
Maximum Size: 75cm
Identification: Yellow to yellowish brown undercolor with large blue-green scale markings; blue-green band markings around mouths and borders of tail.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Sheltered silty inshore reefs and areas of sand and rubble in 2-30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to French Polynesia, Galapagos, Gulf of California and Panama. S. Japan to Australia.

Gold-Spotted Sweetlips

Scientific Name: Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus
Family: Sweetlips - Haemulidae
Maximum Size: 60cm
Identification: Gray with orange and blue stripes on head and small orange spots on upper body extending onto dorsal and tail fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Sheltered coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Papua New Guinea. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Bumphead Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Bolbometopon muricatum
Family: Parrotfishes - Scaridae
Maximum Size: 126cm
Identification: Huge, with large hump on forehead; greenish gray.
Favourite: Form feeding groups.
Hide-out: Uses head to break coral. Lagoons and seaward reefs to 40m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Line Is. and Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Flame Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Neocirrhitus armatus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Brilliant red; broad zone of black on back, also black ring around eye.
Favourite: Solitary and wary.
Hide-out: Perch among branches of Pocillopora and Stylophora branching corals. Clear seaward reefs in 1-10m.
Location: West Pacific - Philippines, Sunda Is. in Indonesia to Samoa and Phoenix Is. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Bicolor Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Cetoscarus bicolor
Family: Parrotfishes - Scaridae
Maximum Size: 80cm
Identification: Green with pinkish red spots and lines on head; band from mouth to belly, stripes or bands on fins.
Favourite: Usually with group of Initial Phase.
Hide-out: Lagoon and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.