Animal Species:Eastern King Wrasse, Coris sandeyeri (Hector, 1884)

The Eastern King Wrasse has very small scales and a distinctive colour pattern. It grows to about 45 cm in length and occurs from around Broughton Island, New South Wales to eastern Victoria.

Eastern King Wrasse, Coris sandeyeri

Eastern King Wrasse, Coris sandeyeri
David and Leanne Atkinson © David and Leanne Atkinson

Alternative Name/s

King Wrasse, Sandager's Wrasse

Identification

The Eastern King Wrasse has very small scales and a distinctive colour pattern. Like many wrasses (Family Labridae) the colour pattern changes with growth.

Size range

The Eastern King Wrasse grows to 45 cm in length.

Similar Species

The closely-related Western King Wrasse, Coris auricularis, is known from the Recherche Archipelago to Shark Bay, Western Australia. These two species can be separated by differences in colouration.

Distribution

The species is occurs from Broughton Island, New South Wales to eastern Victoria.  It also occurs in Lord Howe Island and the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Coris sandeyeri

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Eastern King Wrasse specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It is usually seen at depths between 20 m and 40 m near weed-covered reefs.

Classification

Species:
sandeyeri
Genus:
Coris
Family:
Labridae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Gomon, M.F. & B.C. Russell in Gomon, M.F., C.J.M. Glover & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
  2. Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Crawford House Press. Pp. 437.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Eastern King Wrasse, Coris sandeyeri, Labridae, pink, white, brown, yellow, blue, 'normal fish', long, 30 cm - 1 m, blotches/mottled, kelp/alage/seagrass, reef, adult, marine,