Cymolutes Praetextatus (Quoy and Gaimard, 1834) by Cymolutes

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Perciformes: Labroidei: Labridae 3429

Cymolutes praetextatus (Quoy and Gaimard, 1834) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / Cymolutes lecluse (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824). FAO names: En - Knife wrasse.

Diagnostic characters: Body slender, its depth 3.6 to 3.7 times in standard length, body moderately compressed. Dorsal profile of head strongly convex; jaws prominent; a pair of long, slender prominent canines situated anteriorly in each jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX flexible spines and 12 (rarely 13) soft rays, soft rays progressively longer posteriorly; anal fin with II spines and 12 soft rays; pectoral fins with ii unbranched and 10 branched rays; pelvic fins not filamentous; caudal fin slightly rounded, with 10 branched rays. Head scaleless; lateral line interrupted, with 50 to 60 pored scales in anterior part and 15 to 21 in posterior part. Colour: initial phase olive grey dorsally, white ventrally, with a faint orange-yellow stripe on body passing posteriorly from upper end of end of gill opening and a faint narrower stripe of the same colour along back, following and extending beyond lateral line; a small black spot posteriorly on caudal peduncle near upper edge; often a faint orange border on spinous portion of dorsal fin; iris with an inner ring of yellow and outer of blue or violet; both sexes with a black line in outer part of anterior membrane of dorsal fin; terminal phase with pale bars on posterior half of body, and lacking the peduncular spot. Size: Maximum total length about 20 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found on open sand substrate, dives into the sand when approached. Rarely caught by fisherman or aquarium collectors. Distribution: Broadly distrib- uted in Indo-Pacific, replaced by Cymolutes lecluse in Ha- waii. 3430 Bony Fishes

Diproctacanthus xanthurus (Bleeker, 1856) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / Species of Labrichthys or Labropsis. FAO names: En - Yellowtail tubelip.

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately slender, its depth 3.1 to 3.7 times in total length. Dorsal profile of snout straight; lips fleshy, forming a tube when mouth closed; 2 pairs of canine teeth in upper jaw and 1 pair in lower; small canine teeth present along side of upper jaw and canine present at corner of mouth. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 9 or 10 soft rays, the soft rays longer than spinous portion of fin; anal fin with II spines and 10 or 11 soft rays; pectoral fins with 12 to 14 rays; caudal fin rounded in juveniles, truncate in adults. Small scales present on opercle and cheek. Lateral line complete, with 34 to 39 pored scales. Colour: body greenish white with 2 black stripes on upper side, 1 midlateral and 1 along back; caudal fin bright yellow; juveniles with 3 broad black stripes, the narrow interspaces white; caudal fin black, the upper and lower edges bluish white. Size: Maximum total length about 10 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Inhabitats shallow, protected lagoons with rich coral growth; adults feed primarily on coral polyps whereas juveniles are cleaners of ectoparasites on other fishes. Found occasionally in the aquarium trade. Distribution: Philippines, Palau, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Great Barrier Reef. Perciformes: Labroidei: Labridae 3431

Epibulus insidiator (Pallas, 1770) (Plate III, 21) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / None. FAO names: En - Slingjaw wrasse; Fr - Epibule gourami; Sp - Vieja gurami.

terminal phase

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately deep, maximum depth greater than length of head. Dor- sal profile of head convex in front of dorsal fin, a slight concavity above and before eye; head forming a broadly acute angle; jaws extremely protrusible, capable of being extended for- juvenile ward more then 1/2 length of head; 2 large canines situated anteriorly in each jaw; no enlarged tooth at rear of upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 10 (rarely 11) soft rays, the spines and anterior soft rays of similar length; anal fin with III spines and 8 (rarely 9) soft rays; pectoral fins with ii unbranched and 10 branched rays; pelvic fins filamentous in adults; caudal fin slightly rounded to truncate, the corners produced to form filamentous lobes in adults. Lateral line interrupted below posterior portion of dorsal fin, with a total of 22 or 23 pored scales. Scales reaching well onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above eye; cheek and opercle scaly; lower jaw without scales. Colour: overall brown or occasionally yellow; dorsal fin with several horizontal dark brown stripes and a black spot between first 2 spines; dark vertical bar on each scale; juveniles brown with several dark-edged, narrow, white bars, and an ocellated black spot on anal fin and on rear of dorsal fin; large terminal-phase males with whitish cheeks and nape, and reddish blotch of colour dorsally in front of dorsal-fin origin. Size: Maximum total length about 54 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found on coral reefs of both exposed and protected areas to depths of 5 to 40 m. It feeds upon small fishes, shrimps, and crabs which it can occasionally be seen capturing with its incredibly protrusible jaws. Large individuals are caught on hook-and-line, by spear, and are occasionally found in fish markets. The yellow phase is often captured for the aquarium trade, but fades to the more typical brown colour rendering it without commercial value. Distribution: One of the most widespread of wrasses, this species inhabits coral reefs of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the entire Western and Central Pacific region, reaching Hawaii and the Tuamotu Archipelago in the east. 3432 Bony Fishes

Gomphosus varius Lacepède, 1801 (Plate III, 22 and 23) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Gomphosus tricolor Quoy and Gaimard, 1824 / Gomphosus caeruleus (Lacepède, 1801). FAO names: En - Bird wrasse; Fr - Poisson oiseau; Sp - Vieja trompetera.

initial phase

terminal phase

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately slender, its depth 3.5 to 4 times in total length. Dorsal profile of head nearly straight; jaws extremely elongate and slender protruding far forward of eye; 2 hooked canines situated anteriorly in upper jaw; first pair of teeth in lower jaw slightly larger than succeeding ones; no enlarged tooth at rear of upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with VIII spines and 13 soft rays; spines shorter than soft rays; anal fin with III spines (the first often very small) and 11 soft rays; pectoral fins slender with ii unbranched and 13 branched rays; pelvic fins not filamentous; caudal fin rounded in small individuals, but truncate with corners prolonged into filamentous in large males. Lateral line abruptly curved below posterior portion of dorsal-fin base, with 26 or 27 pored scales. Scales reaching slightly onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; cheek, opercle, and lower jaw without scales. Colour: initial phase white anteriorly with a black spot on the edge of each scale, shading to dark brown posteriorly; dorsal part of snout red, shading posteriorly on head to reddish grey; lower part of head white, with a broken dark brown stripe directed forward and backward from eye; very small individuals white and light green with 2 prominent horizontal black stripes on head and sides. Larger terminal phase deep blue-green with a vertical red line on each scale, an irregular green-yellow bar above pectoral fins, and a large light blue-green crescent posteriorly in caudal fin; pectoral fins often black. Size: Maximum total length about 30 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found on coral and rocky reefs at depths of 1 to 15 m. Feeds on small invertebrates that it picks from cracks and crevices in coral and rock with its elongate jaws. This species is not often found in markets, but is common in the aquarium trade. Distribution: Widely distrib- uted in the Indo-Pacific. Perciformes: Labroidei: Labridae 3433

Halichoeres chloropterus (Bloch, 1791) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Halichoeres gymnocephalus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) / None. FAO names: En - Pastelgreen wrasse.

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately deep, its depth 2.8 to 3.8 times in standard length. Dorsal profile of head only slightly convex; head forming an acute angle; jaws prominent though mouth small; a single pair of prominent canines situated anteriorly in each jaw, second pair of teeth moderately enlarged and recurved; a large curved canine present on each side at rear of upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 11 soft rays; anal fin with III spines and 11 soft rays; 14 pectoral-fin rays; caudal fin slightly rounded. Lateral line abruptly curved below posterior region of dorsal-fin base, with 27 pored scales. Scales not reaching onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above rear edge of eye; small patches of scales present high on opercle, behind eye, and high on cheek; lower jaw without scales. Colour: initial phase pale green on dorsal surface, shading to white ventrally, with a black dot on each scale of back and side, and a series of dark chevron-shaped lines on abdomen; a narrow black bar at pectoral-fin base; terminal phase pastel green with a faint pink spot in centre of each scale in middle and posterior of body; anteriorly the pink spots coalesce to form an irregular network of lines around light green spots; head with irregular bands of pale green and lavender-pink; males often with a large dark-coloured area on upper side beneath juncture of spinous and soft parts of dorsal fin. Size: Maximum total length about 19 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found mostly on coral reefs and surrounding sandy areas at depths of 1 to at least 10 m. Feeds primarily on hard-shelled prey, including molluscs, crustaceans, and sea urchins. Occasionally seen in the aquarium trade. Distribution: Philippines to Great Barrier Reef. 3434 Bony Fishes

Halichoeres hortulanus (Lacepède, 1801) (Plate III, 24) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Halichoeres centriquadrus (Lacepède, 1801) / None. FAO names: En - Checkerboard wrasse; Fr - Lalo damier; Sp - Lalo ajearezado.

adult

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately deep, its depth 3.4 to 3.8 times in standard length. Dorsal profile of head only slightly curved convexly; head forming an acute angle; jaws prominent though mouth small; 2 pairs of prominent canines situated anteriorly in each jaw; a large curved canine present on each side at rear of juvenile upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 11 soft rays; anal fin with III spines and 11 soft rays; 14 pectoral-fin rays; pelvic fins filamentous in adults; caudal fin slightly rounded to truncate. Lateral line abruptly curved below posterior region of dorsal-fin base, with 26 pored scales. Scales not reaching onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above rear edge of eye; small patches of scales present high on opercle, behind eye, and high on cheek; lower jaw without scales. Colour: initial phase with checkerboard pattern consisting of a longitudinal series of square, black-edged white spots following scale rows; a large yellow spot on back at base of fourth and fifth dorsal-fin spines, extending onto fin; a second smaller yellow spot posteriorly in middle of soft portion of dorsal fin; head greenish yellow with irregular orange-pink bands. Males similar in pattern but ground colour more green than white. Juveniles with 3 irregular broad black vertical bands across body separated by broad white interspaces; a large black spot encircled with yellow at centre of dorsal fin. Size: Maximum total length about 27 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found mostly on and about coral reefs at depths of 1 to at least 20 m. Feeds primarily on hard-shelled prey, including molluscs, crustaceans, and sea urchins. This is one of the few members of the large genus Halichoeres that reaches a sufficiently large size to be found in markets. Takenwithfishtraps,with spears by divers and occasionally by handline. Juve- niles occasional in the aquarium trade. Distribution: Broadly distrib- uted in the Indo-Pacific. Perciformes: Labroidei: Labridae 3435

Halichoeres margaritaceus (Valenciennes, 1839) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / Halichoeres nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1839). FAO names: En - Pinkbelly wrasse.

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately deep, its depth 3 to 3.8 times in standard length. Dorsal profile of head only slightly convex; head forming an acute angle; jaws prominent though mouth small; a single pair of prominent canines situated anteriorly in each jaw, second pair of teeth moderately enlarged and recurved; a large curved canine present on each side at rear of upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 11 soft rays; anal fin with III spines and 11 soft rays; 13 pectoral-fin rays; caudal fin slightly rounded. Lateral line abruptly curved below posterior region of dorsal-fin base, with 27 pored scales. Scales not reaching onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above rear edge of eye; small patches of scales present high on opercle, behind eye, and high on cheek; lower jaw without scales. Colour: initial phase with a small dark spot behind eye; a larger but less distinct spot usually present on opercular flap; a dark band from maxilla to and below eye, continuing and curving slightly downward to lower part of opercular flap; a dark band from below mouth paralleling first dark band to or just beyond vertical margin of preopercle; a large black spot in outer part of dorsal fin between first or second and third soft rays; no dark spot at upper base of pectoral fins; a large pink area in life posteriorly on abdomen. Dark spots may be lost on terminal phase except the one on opercular flap; black spot in soft portion of dorsal fin often present on terminal males, though relatively smaller than in initial phase; pink area on abdomen is lost; a faint dark band (pink in life) develops on lower edge of operculum. Size: Maximum total length about 12.5 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found mostly on shallow coral reefs and rocky shores. Occasionally seen in the aquarium trade. Distribution: Southern Japan to southern Great Barrier Reef and New South Wales, throughout Oceania. 3436 Bony Fishes

Halichoeres melanurus (Bleeker, 1851) (Plate IV, 25) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Halichoeres hoeveni (Bleeker, 1851) / None. FAO names: En - Tailspot wrasse.

initial phase

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately deep, its depth 3.1 to 3.6 times in standard length. Dorsal profile of head only slightly convex; head forming an acute angle; jaws prominent though mouth small; a single pair of prominent ca- terminal phase nines situated anteriorly in each jaw, second pair of teeth moderately enlarged and recurved; a large curved canine present on each side at rear of upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 11 soft rays; anal fin with III spines and 11 soft rays; 14 pectoral-fin rays; pelvic fins of terminal phase reaching to or beyond anus; caudal fin slightly rounded. Lateral line abruptly curved below posterior region of dorsal-fin base, with 27 pored scales. Scales not reaching onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above rear edge of eye; small patches of scales present high on opercle, behind eye, and high on cheek; lower jaw without scales. Colour: initial phase with alternating narrow orange-yellow and blue stripes, a blue-edged black spot the size of the pupil at upper base of caudal fin, a large spot in middle of dorsal fin, and a small spot at front of dorsal fin; terminal phase with blue-green and orange stripes on body, 3 to 6 narrow green vertical bars on upper side; head with pink and blue-green bands; caudal fin blue with curved orange-red bands and a large vertically elongate dark spot posteriorly in middle of fin; pectoral-fin base with a large yellow spot with a smaller black spot at upper fin base. Size: Maximum total length about 10.5 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found mostly on shallow coral reefs and rocky shores. Occasionally seen in the aquarium trade. Distribution: Marshall Is- lands, Samoa Islands, Caroline Islands, Palau Is- lands, Solomon Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Philippines, and Indonesia. Perciformes: Labroidei: Labridae 3437

Halichoeres prosopeion (Bleeker, 1851) Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / Halichoeres melanochir Fowler and Bean, 1928. FAO names: En - Twotone wrasse.

Diagnostic characters: Body moderately deep, its depth 2.9 to 3.4 times in standard length. Dorsal profile of head only slightly curved convexly; head forming an acute angle; jaws prominent though mouth small; a single pair of prominent canines situated anteriorly in each jaw, second pair of teeth moderately enlarged and recurved; a large curved canine present on each side at rear of upper jaw. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX spines and 12 soft rays; anal fin with III spines and 11 soft rays; 13 or 14 pectoral-fin rays; pelvic fins of adults extending beyond origin of anal fin; caudal fin of adults slightly rounded to truncate. Lateral line abruptly curved below posterior region of dorsal-fin base, with 27 pored scales. Scales not reaching onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above rear edge of eye; small patches of scales present high on opercle, behind eye, and high on cheek; lower jaw without scales. Colour: adults blue-grey anteriorly and yellow posteriorly, with midbody fading from grey to yel- lowish; posterior scales each with yellow vertical line; anterior dorsal fin with a large black spot; a vertically elongate dark spot posterior to dorsal half of eye; caudal-fin rays orange-yellow; juveniles pale bluish anteriorly, light yellow posteriorly, with 4 longitudinal black stripes. Size: Maximum total length about 13 cm. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Found on coral reefs and slopes to 40 m. Occasionally seen in the aquarium trade. Distribution: New Guinea, Philippines, Palau Islands, Samoa Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Great Barrier Reef, and Indonesia.

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