| Labridae (Wrasses), subfamily: Bodianinae |
| 76 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 9,000.0 g |
|
reef-associated; marine; depth range 5 - 76 m |
| Eastern Pacific: Guadalupe Island and throughout the Gulf of California to Chile, including the Cocos, Malpelo, Revillagigedo and the Galapagos islands. |
|
Body moderately deep and compressed; head large and pointed; teeth caniniform, enlarged, and somewhat crooked, two anterior pairs in each jaw; dorsal fin with 12 spines; posterior rays of anal and dorsal fins forming filamentous lobes; lower branch of first gill arch with 12 to 13 gill rakers; very large individuals blue, with a narrow, yellow, vertical bar immediately behind the posterior edge of the pectoral fin, juveniles red or reddish brown; females with 2 longitudinal black stripes (Ref. 55763). |
| Adults inhabit rocky or coral areas (Ref. 9311). Sometimes also found on sandy bottoms and where marine plants abound (Ref. 9311). Solitary or forms aggregations of only a few individuals. Feed on crabs, brittle stars, mollusks, and sea urchins (Ref. 9311). At night, they agglomerate in cracks and crevices of rocks and caves to sleep (Ref. 9311). Marketed fresh (Ref. 9311). Starts life as a female, later becoming a functional male. Males defend temporary reproductive territories called leks. Sex change may be due to local social conditions, but it may also have a genetic component, since the reversal occurs over a limited size range (Ref. 28023). Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). |
|
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 23 May 2007 Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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