Halichoeres melanurus

(Bleeker, 1851)

Vernacular names
English : Tail-spot wrasse
French : Labre à queue tachée noire, Labre mélanure

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

Identification
Adults can reach a maximum length of 12 cm. Ground coloration from bright green to turquoise blue with pinkish to yellow horizontal lines made of dots. Small black spot on tip of tail (sometimes barely visible). Face striped pink and green.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the Western Pacific ocean, from Japan to Great Barrier Reef, east to Samoa. Lives in shallow coral reefs and rocky shores, to 15 meters deep.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is still locally common and now legally protected in some areas. Vulnerable to habitat loss and over-collection for aquarium trade.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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