Red-breasted wrasse
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- Name / Latin
- Red-breasted wrasse — Cheilinus fasciatus
- Brief description
- The red-breasted wrasse (redbreast wrasse) is a reef fish of the family Labridae, found in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, including the Red Sea. It has a deep, moderately flattened body and a large head with thick lips. Coloration changes with age and phase: juveniles are usually pale with several dark vertical stripes; adults and terminal males are more contrasting, with a reddish-orange "breast" on the head and forebody and broad black-and-white horizontal bands behind. It lives on lagoon and outer reefs among coral, sand and rubble, feeding mainly on hard-shelled invertebrates (crustaceans, molluscs, sea urchins).
- Size:
- up to 40 cm
- Depth:
- 4–60 m
- Habitat:
- Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, Andaman Sea
- Family:
- Labridae
- Type:
- Fish
- Activity:
- Diurnal
- Conservation status:
- Least Concern (LC) — not threatened with extinction according to IUCN assessment
The red-breasted wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) is found in various areas including the Indo-Pacific, the Red Sea, East Africa, Micronesia, Samoa and Ryukyu. It prefers lagoons and coral reefs at depths of 4 to 60 metres, where it finds a variety of food: bottom-dwelling invertebrates, molluscs, crustaceans and sea urchins.
This fish has a typical flattened body, large head and thick lips. Its colour depends on age: juveniles are grey with black vertical stripes, and adults become darker. The body of an adult is covered with grey-green stripes, broad black bands and bright red on the chest, head and pectoral fins.
The red-breasted wrasse has strong jaws used for crushing shells, and its main features are similar in both juveniles and adults. It prefers mixed reef zones and moves slowly in search of food.
It is protogynous: it starts life as a female and under certain conditions turns into a male. Spawning takes place in specific areas, and males visit these sites to check whether females are ready to mate.
