Related Articles: Wrasses, Anampses, Hogfishes/Bodianus, Maori Wrasses/Cheilinus & Oxycheilinus, Fairy/Velvet Wrasses/Cirrhilabrus, Coris & Coris gaimard, Bird Wrasses/Gomphosus, Halichoeres, Hemigymnus & Hologymnosus Wrasses, Cleaner Wrasses/Labroides, Tubelip Wrasses/Labropsis, Leopard Wrasses/Macropharyngodon, Pencil Wrasses/Pseudojuloides, Razorfishes, Pseudocheilinus, Stethojulis, Thalassoma

Over to other Regional Accounts of Wrasses: 

Wrasses of Indonesia

Part Three of Three

To Part One, Two,

By Bob Fenner

Hemigymnus fasciatus

Hemigymnus fasciatus (Bloch 1792), the Barred Thicklip Wrasse (2). Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, east to Tahiti. To thirty two inches long in the wild. Pictured are a six inch juvenile in an aquarium, Fiji, one of fifteen inches in N. Sulawesi and a two foot adult in the Maldives.

Hemigymnus melapterus (Bloch 1791), the Blackeye Thicklip Wrasse (2).  Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, east to Tahiti. To thirty six inches in the wild. Shown are a too-small, two inch juvenile in captivity, a four inch individual in Fiji (about the best aquarium starting size), and a sixteen inch adult in the Red Sea.

Hologymnosus annulatus (Lacepede 1801), the Ring Wrasse (2). Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea east to the Marianas. To sixteen inches in length. Here are images of a juvenile (3"), female and male in the Red Sea.

Hologymnosus doliatus (Lacepede 1801), the Pastel Ring or Candycane Wrasse (2). Indo-Pacific east to the Line Islands. To eighteen inches. Images: juveniles and adult female in an aquarium. 

Labroides bicolor Fowler & Bean 1928, the Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse (3), easily recognized, easily lost Indo Pacific beauty. Indo-Pacific, east Africa to Micronesia. To five and a half inches in length. Here are images of a juvenile and adult in Maldives and Fiji respectively.

Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes 1839), the common or Blue Cleaner Wrasse (3). Thousands will be collected today and thousands will die. One out of thousands lives for a year in captivity. Indo-Pacific, east Africa, Red Sea to the Marquesas. To four and a half inches in length. Juvenile in Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia, intermediate phase in N. Sulawesi and an adult, likely for only a short while, in captivity.

Labroides rubrolabiatus Randall 1958, the Red Lip Cleaner Wrasse (3), of the Pacific’s Oceania ought to be left in the sea as well. To four inches in length. On a Moray Eel (Gymnothorax javanicus) in Moorea, French Polynesia, a juvenile in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas and an adult in Fiji.

Macropharyngodon negrosensis Herre 1932, the Black Leopard Wrasse (3) is usually offered as a "miscellaneous" item. Only the ones from Australia generally live. Indo-Pacific; Andaman Sea to Samoa. To nearly five inches in length. Aquarium and Redang, Malaysia images.
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=4985&genusname=Macropharyngodon&speciesname=negrosensis

Macropharyngodon ornatus Randall 1978, the Ornate Leopard Wrasse (3), or False Leopard. Best from Australia and Sri Lanka. Indo-Pacific; Sri Lanka to New Guinea. To a bit over five inches in length. Aquarium and N. Sulawesi pix.
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12724&genusname=Macropharyngodon&speciesname=ornatus

This genus contains the most prominent "Rock Mover" or Razorfish species, The Dragon Wrasse, N. taeniourus (Lacepede 1801)(formerly in the genus Hemipteronotus). There are actually a few other genera (e.g. Xyrichthys) and several species of these specialized, wedge-headed fishes in the Worlds tropical seas. Most are too plain, or get too rambunctious to be of interest/use to aquarists. All are prodigious diggers and movers of decor that need digging room, substrate and well assembled decor to prevent toppling.        Novaculichthys taeniourus  (Lay & Bennett 1839) the Rock Mover, Dragon or Indian Wrasse (2) is a very hardy fish that is more often killed by aquarists than dies from other influences. As an aquarium specimen this species requires regular "beefy" feedings of animal-based foods. It is a gluttonous feeder that quickly starves if underfed. Not for reef tanks, Razorfishes are territorial and aggressive fishes. To about a foot in length.  Juvenile in the wild (Hawai'i), one in captivity and adult in Hawai'i shown. One other species in this genus. Not used in the trade.

Oxycheilinus bimaculatus (Valenciennes 1840), the Twinspot Wrasse (2) is right about the right size at 6 inches maximum, but this shy beauty really takes a beating in the process of collection, holding and shipping from the wild. Indo-Pacific out to the Hawaiian Islands. Formerly placed in the genus Cheilinus. At right, a male and female in Hawai'i. Below: a juvenile, intermediate and adult in N. Sulawesi pictured. 

Oxycheilinus celebicus (Bleeker 1853), the Celebes or Slender Splendour Wrasse (2) also grows to about nine inches and perishes for the same "induced" reasons as the Twinspot. West-central Pacific. These two and four inch specimens in Pulau Redang, Malaysia.

Oxycheilinus orientalis (Gunther 1862), the Oriental Maori Wrasse. Western Pacific. To six inches in length. Replaced by Cheilinus mentalis in the Indian Ocean.

No pic

Pseudocheilinus evanidus Jordan & Evermann 1903, the Pin-Striped or Striated Wrasse (2). I like this fish’s other common names, the Disappearing or Vanishing Wrasse for its bashfulness. To a grand size of three inches. Indo-Pacific, including Red Sea and Hawai'i. Two in the Red Sea.

Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins 1901, the Eight-Lined Wrasse (2) comes in two color morphs, one more orange, the other more pinkish in body hue. Both can become agonistic toward other fishes. Under-crowding, over-decorating and keen observation are called for here, as always.  Indo-Pacific, including Hawai'i.. To five and a half inches in length. Both color morphs shown in captivity.

Stethojulis albovittata (Bonnaterre 1788), the Bluelined Wrasse (3), of the Western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea. Gorgeous males that don’t live in captivity. To five inches in length. An initial phase individual in S. Sulawesi and a terminal phase one in the Red Sea.
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=8025&genusname=Stethojulis&speciesname=albovittata

Stethojulis balteata (Quoy & Gaimard 1824), the Belted Wrasse (3), is an Hawaiian endemic. This is the most common and hardiest member of the genus, but still has a dismal survival rate. Two male pix and a female off of the Big Island. To six inches long.

Thalassoma hardwicke (Bennett 1830), the Six-Barred Wrasse (3). Indo-Pacific, to eight inches. The first one in the Maldives, the second in the Cooks.

Thalassoma jansenii (Bleeker 1856), Jansen's Wrasse. Indo-West Pacific. To eight inches. Not a great beauty but hardy by standards for the genus (2). Specimen in a tank in a Fiji wholesaler's and Australia.

Thalassoma lunare (Linnaeus 1758), the Moon Wrasse (2), sometimes comes in great, other times... all die. Red Sea and Indian Ocean,  to the Line Islands. Length to ten inches. Can be more green or blue in overall coloration. Young have a dark spot on their caudal and mid-dorsal fins. A male off of Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia, and female in the Red Sea. 

Thalassoma purpureum (Forsskal 1775), the Surge Wrasse (3). Indo-Pacific, to more than one foot long. This one in the Seychelles.

Thalassoma quinquevittatum (Lay & Bennett 1839), the Red-Ribbon Wrasse (3). Indo-Pacific, to six inches. Aquarium image.

Thalassoma trilobatum (Lacepede 1801), I wish was called the Three-Line Wrasse, but it’s another of the Christmas Wrasses (just how many labrids are green and red anyway?)(3). To twelve inches overall length. This image taken in Hawai'i.