Family Labridae

Wrasses

 

JAPAN

Thalassoma cupido

Yawatano, Izu, Japan, 6 feet

CUPID WRASSE    Nishiki-bera

Common on rocky reefs.  Attains 8 inches.  Japan & Taiwan.

 

Parajulis poecilopterus

Female, Osezaki, Izu, Japan, 30 feet

Male, Osezaki, Izu, Japan, 30 feet

Kyuusen   

Common in shallow water near shore.  Attains 14 inches.  Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan.  Formerly known as Halichoeres poecilopterus.

 

Halichoeres bleekeri

Male, Osezaki, Izu, Japan, 30 feet

 BLEEKER'S WRASSE    

Uncommon on rocky reefs.  Attains 5 inches.  Japan, Taiwan, Philippines.

 

Pteragogus aurigarius

Female, Osezaki, Izu, Japan, 30 feet

 

Male, Yawatano, Izu, Japan, 30 feet

Male, Osezaki, Izu, Japan, 30 feet

Ohaguro-bera 

Uncommon on rocky reefs.  Attains 8 inches.  Japan & Taiwan.

Coris gaimard

Juvenile, Ke'ei, Hawaii, 30 feet

 

Juvenile, Waimea Bay, Oahu, 30 feet

Juvenile, Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet

 

Juvenile, Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet

Subadult, Waimea Bay, Oahu, 30 feet

Subadult, Koloa Landing, Kauai, 40 feet

 

Subadult, Sea Cave, Oahu, 65 feet

 

Subadult, Sea Cave, Oahu, 65 feet

Female, Kahe Point, Oahu, 30 feet

 

Male, Kaiwi Point, Hawaii, 45 feet

Male, Sea Cave, Oahu, 65 feet

 

Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet

Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet

  YELLOWTAIL CORIS       Tsuyu-bera

Fairly common on reefs.  Coloration changed greatly with age.  Attains 12 inches.  Indonesia to Southern Japan, Hawaii and the Tuamotus.  

Thalassoma hardwicke

Male, Tafananai, American Samoa, 5 feet

Female, Faga'alu, Tutuila, Samoa, 5 feet

SIXBAR WRASSE    Senasuji-bera

Common on shallow reefs.  Attains 10 inches.  Indo-Pacific to Southern Japan.

 

Thalassoma quinquevittatum

Breakers Point, American Samoa, 15 feet

FIVESTRIPE WRASSE    Hako-bera

Fairly common in shallow water exposed to surge.  Attains 5 inches.  Hawaii, Ryukyus & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Thalassoma trilobatum

Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet

 

Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 5 feet

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 5 feet

  CHRISTMAS WRASSE        Ryugu-bera

Fairly common in shallow water.  Female is nearly identical to the Surge wrasse with a nearly oval red-brown mark ahead of the eye.  Attains 12 inches.  Hawaii, Ryukyus & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Thalassoma purpureum

Female, Midway Lagoon, 5 feet

Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 5 feet

SURGE WRASSE        Kinu-bera

Uncommon in shallow water exposed to wave action.  Female is nearly identical to the Christmas wrasse and has only reddish-brown spots ahead of the eye.  Attains 17 inches.  Hawaii, Southern Japan & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Thalassoma lutescens

Male, Shinagawa Aquarium, Tokyo, Japan

SUNSET WRASSE    Yamabuki-bera

Common on coral reefs.  Females are greenish and both sexes have pink radiating lines on the head.  Attains 9 inches.  Sri Lanka, Hawaii & Southern Japan, SE Australia to Rapa.

 

Thalassoma lunare

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 10 feet

MOON WRASSE    Otome-bera

Common on reef tops in shallow water.  Attains 10 inches.  Red Sea to Southern Japan, Line Islands, GBR & Tonga.

Pseudojuloides cerasinus

Female, Palea Point, Oahu, 50 feet

 

Female, Kewalo Hump, Oahu, 90 feet

Male, Palea Point, Oahu, 50 feet

Male, Angel Ledge, Midway, 95 feet

 

Kewalo Hump, Oahu, 90 feet

SMALLTAIL or PENCIL WRASSE    Oguro-bera

Locally common over rubble & dead coral deeper than 40 feet.  Male maintains harem of females.  Attains 5 inches.  Hawaii, Southern Japan & the Indo-Pacific.

Gomphosus varius

Female, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 10 feet

 

Female, Kahalu'u, Hawaii, 35 feet

 

Male, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 10 feet

 

Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet

 

Juvenile, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 10 feet

Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet

BIRD WRASSE        Kugi-bera

Fairly common on shallow reefs.  Transitional fish are reddish-brown to emerald green.  Attains 12 inches.  Eastern Indian Ocean to Southern Japan, Hawaii, & Pitcairn Island.

 

Cheilio inermis

Yellow Female, Hanauma Bay, 25 feet

Male, Hanauma Bay, 40 feet

CIGAR WRASSE       Kamasu-bera

Locally common on seaweed-covered reefs and rubble areas.  Females usually striped with brown and tan; rarely yellow.  Males gray with yellowish area behind pectoral fins.  Feeds upon small reef fishes.  Attains 20 inches.  Difficult to approach.  Hawaii Southern Japan & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Epibulus insidiator

Juvenile, Pearl & Hermes Reef, NWHI, 75 feet

 

Male, Mamanuca Is., Fiji, 

Male, Wakatobi, Indonesia, 30 feet

SLINGJAW  WRASSE    Gichi-bera

Mouth extremely long and protrusible, color variable.  Fairly common on coral reefs.  Juveniles are dark brown or yellow; adults with orange to white.  Attains 14 inches.  Indo-Pacific, Hawaii & the Ryukyus.

 

Oxycheilinus bimaculatus

Koloa Landing, Kauai, 40 feet

 

Kahe Point, Oahu, 40 feet

Kahe Point, Oahu, 30 feet

 

Male, Kewalo, Oahu, 50 feet

Male, Kewalo, Oahu, 50 feet

  TWOSPOT  WRASSE

Males have an extended upper caudal lobe.  Locally common in barren areas at deeper scuba depths.   Attains 4 inches.  Hawaii, Southern Japan & the Indo-Pacific.

  

Oxycheilinus unifasciatus

Juvenile, Cargo Pier, Midway Atoll, 20 feet

 

Puako, Hawaii, 45 feet

Maui Ocean Center

 

Kona Village, 35 feet

Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 20 feet

RINGTAIL WRASSE        Hitosugi-mochinouo

White band around caudal peduncle, young are gray, becoming more colorful with age.  Known to cause Ciguatera Poisoning and should not be eaten.  Attains 18 inches.  Hawaii, Ryukyus, GBR to French Polynesia.

 

Oxycheilinus celebicus

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 40 feet

SULAWESI WRASSE    Hananaga-mochino-uo

Inhabits protected reefs at scuba depths.  Attains 8 inches.  Sulawesi, Ryukyus to New Caledonia & Micronesia.

Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia

Kahe Point, Oahu, 40 feet

Kahe Point, Oahu, 40 feet

FOUR-LINED WRASSE

A common but shy fish among Finger coral at scuba depths.  Attains 2.5 inches.  Hawaii, Minami-tori-shima, Micronesia, to New Caledonia & Pitcairn.

Pseudocheilinus evanidus

Coconut Point, Nu'uuli, American Samoa, 60 feet

Sea Tiger, Oahu, 120 feet

CHINSTRAP or EVAN'S WRASSE    Hime-nisemochino-uo

Appears reddish brown underwater with many fine white stripes.  Locally common among rubble & Finger coral at scuba depths.  Attains 4 inches.  Hawaii, Izu Islands & the Indo-Pacific.

Pseudocheilinus octotaenia

Juvenile, Kea'au, Oahu, 50 feet

Palea Point, Oahu, 30 feet

Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 40 feet

Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 40 feet

  EIGHT-LINED WRASSE    Yasuji-nisemochino-uo

Locally common among Finger coral and rubble at scuba depths.  Attains 5 inches.  Hawaii, Yaeyama Islands & the Indo-Pacific.

Labroides dimidiatus

Utulei, American Samoa, 20 feet

STRIPED CLEANER WRASSE    Hon-somewake-bera

Common on reefs.  Cleans parasites on other fishes.  Attains 4.5 inches.  Indo-Pacific to Southern Japan.

 

Halichoeres prosHalichoeres prosopeion

Juvenile, Moon Beach, Okinawa, Japan, 10 feet

TWO-TONE WRASSE    Munatenbera-damashi

Common on coral reefs.  Attains 6 inches.  Southern Japan to Australia & Samoa.

 

Hologymnosus doliatus

Juvenile, Maeda Point, Okinawa, 30 feet

PASTEL RINGWRASSE    Shirotasuki-bera

Occasional over rubble or sand near reefs.  Attains 19 inches.  East Africa to Southern Japan, GBR, Line Islands & Samoa.

 

 

 

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