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Black-blotched rainbowfish (Halichoeres chloropterus) — Labridae

Black-blotched rainbowfish

Halichoeres chloropterus
Family: Labridae
LC · Least Concern

The Black-blotched rainbowfish (Halichoeres chloropterus) is a saltwater fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 19 cm.

Length
19 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0–10 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Western Pacific; shallow sheltered coral reefs.
Edibility
Not eaten

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Description

The pastel-green wrasse is a wrasse (Labridae) from the western Pacific. Adults are predominantly pastel green, sometimes with pinkish markings; juveniles are light green with dark spots. It inhabits shallow, protected coral reefs and adjacent silty sand and rubble bottoms. As a bottom predator it feeds mainly on hard-shelled prey such as molluscs and crustaceans, which it crushes with its jaw teeth. Like many wrasses it is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Black-blotched rainbowfish?

The Black-blotched rainbowfish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly green and shows a plain pattern. Pastel-green reef dweller; crushes hard-shelled prey; protogynous hermaphrodite.

Where does the Black-blotched rainbowfish live?

The Black-blotched rainbowfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Western Pacific; shallow sheltered coral reefs.

How big does the Black-blotched rainbowfish get?

The Black-blotched rainbowfish grows to a maximum of about 19 cm.

Is the Black-blotched rainbowfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Black-blotched rainbowfish is harmless to humans. None required: this species is harmless to humans.

Is the Black-blotched rainbowfish edible?

The Black-blotched rainbowfish is not usually eaten.

More photos

Black-blotched rainbowfish (Halichoeres chloropterus) — Labridae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) Mark Rosenstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Black-blotched rainbowfish (Halichoeres chloropterus) — Labridae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — Bondolo (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Black-blotched rainbowfish (Halichoeres chloropterus) — Labridae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — portioid (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Black-blotched rainbowfish (Halichoeres chloropterus) — Labridae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Jens Sommer-Knudsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))

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All data

Identification

English name
Black-blotched rainbowfish verified
Scientific name
Halichoeres chloropterus
Family
Labridae
Other names
Black-blotched wrasse; Dark-blotch wrasse; Green-spotted wrasse; Java wrasse; Pastel-green wrasse; Wrasse verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
19 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green
Pattern
Plain
Tail shape
Straight
Mouth position
Terminal
Lips
Thick / fleshy
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0 verified
Max depth (m)
10 verified
Natural range
Western Pacific; shallow sheltered coral reefs.
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Hard-shelled molluscs and crustaceans sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary
Territorial
No
Activity
Diurnal
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known.
Special features
Pastel-green reef dweller; crushes hard-shelled prey; protogynous hermaphrodite. sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Fishing with natural bait (fish, shrimp, worm) or lures close to reef and rock structures.
Regulations source

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
None required: this species is harmless to humans. sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Halichoeres

More from the family Labridae

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