Humphead Wrasse

Max length : 229 cm SL male/unsexed; common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight: 191.0 kg. max. reported age: 32 years

Family	Labridae
Description	Wrasses
Environment	Marine
Etymology	Latin, labrum = lip or edge; = furious
Genus	71
No. of Species	521
Order	Perciformes
Class	Actinopterygii
Reproductive Guild	Mixed
Distribution	Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific. Protrusible mouth. Most jaw teeth with gaps between them; teeth usually jutting outward. Dorsal fin 8-21 spines (usually less than15), 6-21 soft rays. Anal fin 4-6 spines (often 3), 7-18 soft rays. Cycloid scales, generally large to moderate, 25-80 along the side (may be small and over 100 if small. Lateral line interrupted or continuous. Vertebrae 23-42. Snout elongated in the genus Gomphosus. Size, shape and color very diversified. Most species are sand burrowers; carnivores on benthic invertebrates; also planktivores, and some small species remove ectoparasites of larger fishes. Most species change color and sex with growth, from an initial phase (IP) of both males and females, the latter able to change sex into an often brilliantly colored terminal male phase (TP). Males dominate several females; all Indo-Pacific species are pelagic spawners. Most species do well in aquaria, and young Coris are particularly popular. Maximum length about 2.3 m, many are less than 15 cm, the shortest being 4.5 cm. Medium to large species are important food fishes.

Humphead

Inhabit steep outer reef slopes, channel slopes, and lagoon reefs. Benthopelagic at 2-60 m. Usually solitary but may occur in pairs. Juveniles are encountered in coral-rich areas of lagoon reefs, where staghorn Acropora corals abound also in algae reefs or seagrasses. Adults rove across the reefs by day and rest in reef caves and under coral ledges at night. Primary food are mollusks, fishes, sea urchins, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. One of the few predators of toxic animals such as sea hares, boxfishes and crown-of-thorns starfish

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Adults of this species develop thick lips and a prominent bulbous hump on the forehead. Juveniles pale greenish with elongate dark spots on scales tending to form bars; 2 black lines posteriorly from eye

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding

Summary of Distribution: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to South Africa and to the Tuamoto Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to New Caledonia. Formerly known as Vulnerable (A1d+2cd) (Y. Sadovy) but now listed as Endangered in IUCN 2004 and listed in Appendix II of CITES.
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)