Seagrass Razorfish

Scientific Name: Novaculichthys macrolepidotus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: TP - Bright green with dark band and lines radiating from eye; several black spots usually just before tail base.
Favourite: Form aggregations in seagrass and weed beds.
Hide-out: Lagoons and coastal areas to 5m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia and New Guinea. S.W. Japan to S.E. Australia and Lord Howe I.

Leopard Wrasse

Scientific Name: Macropharyngodon meleagris
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: TP - Dull orange-red to purple or green undercolor with black or blue-edged green spot on each body scale; blue edged green bands on head, small black spot above pectoral.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coral and rubble bottoms in 2-30m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Cocos-Keeling Is. to Micronesia, Line and Pitcaim Is. (absent Indonesia). S. Japan and S.E. Australia.

Rockmover Wrasse

Scientific Name: Novaculichthys taeniourus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 27cm
Identification: TP/IP - Pale gray head, dark brown to black body with pale spot on each scale; white bar on tail base, may display lines radiating from eye.
Favourite: Solitary; turn over rocks in search of prey.
Hide-out: Rubble bottoms next to reefs to 20m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii, French Polynesia and Panama. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Kuiter's Wrasse

Scientific Name: Macropharyngodon kuiteri
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: TP - Whitish with orange scale margins; pale-edged black spot on rear gill cover; green bands on head.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Base of dropoffs in deeper water.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - S. Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia to New South Wales in S.E. Australia.

Twospot Slender Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus bimaculatus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Small and slender; variable from yellowish upper body and pink below to pink upper body and white below; may have thin red stripes, black spot on rear gill cover and often another on tail base.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 30-60m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Mauritius to Papua New Guinea. S. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Choat's Wrasse

Scientific Name: Macropharyngodon choati
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: TP - White with red blotches and red stripes on lower head; large dark spot surrounded by yellow on gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Lagoons, passes and seaward reefs in 6-28m.
Location: Localized - S. Great Barrier Reef to N. New South Wales in Australia.

Saddleback Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus bilunulatus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 55cm
Identification: TP - Pale undercolor with numerous dark reddish to greenish or grayish brown thin stripes; large dark or pale spot below rear dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary; feed on benthic invertebrates.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reef slopes in 8-108m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Hawaii and Pitcairn Is. east of French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

Black Leopard Wrasse

Scientific Name: Macropharyngodon negrosensis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: TP - Black with translucent tail that may have dark borders; several pale saddle blotches on back and band markings on head.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Mixed sand, rubble and coral areas in 8-32m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Philippines and Samoa. S.W. Japan to S.E. Australia.

Redstripe Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus opercularis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Slender body; bold red and white candy-stripe pattern; black spot on rear edge of gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Rubble bottoms on or adjacent to steep outer reef slopes in 35-70m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea to Palau and Marshall Is. in Micronesia.

Yellowfin Fairy Flasher

Scientific Name: Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 6.5cm
Identification: TP - White to pinkish with red upper head; 2 wide red bars on forebody, broad yellow margin on dorsal fin.
Hide-out: Rubble bottoms among coral patches in 12-30m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines.

Neill's Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus neilli
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Reddish brown head and upper forebody, white lower and rear body; large blackish and red blotch on middle of dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs in 2-15m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Maldives to Andaman Sea.

Yellowband Wrasse

Scientific Name: Cirrhilabrus luteovittatus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: TP - Variable with maroon to red head and upper body, red to violet belly; broad pale red to yellow stripe from pectoral fin to tail base, black wedge-shaped mark below pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Form aggregations.
Hide-out: Rubble around lagoon patch reefs in 7-30m.
Location: Localized - E. Caroline and Marshall Is. in Micronesia (rare at Johnston Atoll).

Lyretail Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus anthioides
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Brown head and forebody, white rear body; scattered brown spots on white areas; deeply forked tail.
Favourite: Solitary; feed on benthic invertebrates.
Hide-out: Steep outer slopes, often adjacent to dropoffs in 6-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Line Is. and Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

Yellowback Wrasse

Scientific Name: Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: TP - Orange to yellow upper head, back and dorsal fin, purplish white below; row of maroon to purple spots on back and another on middle of tail base with white stripe between.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Rubble bottoms next to seaward coral reefs in 4-45m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines.

Longnose Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus prognathus
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Red upper body, paler below; 4-5 white spots on back and several pale spots on body; black spots on many scales; elongate snout.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Outer reefs in 7-20m, juveniles usually below 30m.
Location: Localized - Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific.

Walindi Wrasse

Scientific Name: Cirrhilabrus walindi
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: TP - Pink with yellow wash on back; dorsal, anal and ventral fins yellowish with blue or magenta borders, two black blotches on dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Rubble bottoms next to coral patches on seaward slopes in 10-65m.
Location: Localized - Papua New Guinea and Solomon Is.

Goldspot Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus perditio
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: JP - Yellow; large black patch on rear back preceded by white bar. TP - Reddish; same markings as JP except bar is yellowish.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble patches of seaward reefs in 13-40m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Hawaii and Pitcairn Is. east of French Polynesia. S. Japan to Australia.

Solor Wrasse

Scientific Name: Cirrhilabrus solorensis
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: TP - Upper body orange in highly variable amounts, head and lower body violet to lavender.
Favourite: Solitary or with several females.
Hide-out: Rubble areas near coral reefs in 5-35m.
Location: Localized - Indonesia.

Diana's Hogfish

Scientific Name: Bodianus diana
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Purple to red head and back, yellow to whitish below; 4-5 white spots on back, large black spots on ventral and anal fins.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 6-25m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Samoa. S. Japan to E. Australia and New Caledonia.

Samoa Wrasse

Scientific Name: Cirrhilabrus walshi
Family: Wrasses - Labridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: TP - Blotchy orange-red with yellowish underside, yellowish dorsal fin and red tail with white spotted borders.
Favourite: Form aggregations over rubble bottoms.
Hide-out: Seaward reefs in 5-30m.
Location: Localized - Known only from Samoa.