Coris auricularis

(Valenciennes, 1839)

Vernacular names
English : Western king wrasse
French : Girelle royale d’Australie

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Eupercaria i. s. (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Labridae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Large orange-pink wrasse with broad curved red band from mouth to tail. Terminal phase with bright red cheeks, black and white vertical bands behind head, bluish forehead, blue-spotted tail fin.

Range and habitat
Eastern Indian Ocean, only found around western and southern Australian coasts. Occurs near shallow rocky and coral reefs with sand patches.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has a small range but seems to be common to locally abundant, even in areas with intense fishing pressure. Population trends and reasons need to be better understood.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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