Semicossyphus reticulatus

(Valenciennes, 1839)

Vernacular names
English : Asian sheepshead wrasse
French : Labre à tête de mouton

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

Identification
One of the largest wrasse. Bulbous forehead and chin. Adults dark purple to vinous-red with dark edges on flank scales forming reticulated pattern. Clear chin. Juveniles with white flank band.

Range and habitat
Indo-Pacific, from Japan and south Korea to South-China Sea around Hong Kong. Found around rocky reefs in cool to cold waters.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : DATA DEFICIENT
CITES : Not Listed
Status : Surprisingly poorly known species despite its large size. Juveniles are locally common, adults much more rarely seen. Targeted by commercial fishing. More studies are urgently needed.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

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