Biocellate Wrasse, Halichoeres biocellatus (Schultz, 1960)

ANIMAL SPECIES:Biocellate Wrasse, Halichoeres biocellatus (Schultz, 1960)

Female Biocellate Wrasse are green with orange stripes anteriorly that break into spots on the rear of the body, whereas males have reddish stripes along the body and a U-shaped mark on the caudal peduncle.

The species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

Identification

Female Biocellate Wrasse are green with orange stripes anteriorly that break into spots on the rear of the body. They have two distinctive ocelli on the dorsal fin.

Mature males have reddish stripes along the body and a U-shaped mark on the caudal peduncle. They have no ocelli in the dorsal fin.

Size range

The Biocellate Wrasse grows to 12 cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

In Australia it is known from north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland south to the southern coast of New South Wales.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Biocellate Wrasse specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:: biocellatus
Genus:: Halichoeres
Family:: Labridae
Class:: Actinopterygii
Subphylum:: Vertebrata
Phylum:: Chordata
Kingdom:: Animalia

What does this mean?

References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
Kuiter, R.H. 2002. Fairy and Rainbow Wrasses and their Relatives. A Comprehensive Guide to Selected Labroids. TMC Publishing. Pp. 208.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.

Last Updated: 17 June 2009

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