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Black nabeta (Iniistius pavo) — Labridae

Black nabeta

Iniistius pavo
Family: Labridae
LC · Least Concern

The Black nabeta (Iniistius pavo) is a saltwater fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 42 cm.

Length
42 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The peacock razorfish is a wrasse (Labridae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has a deep, strongly laterally compressed, knife-like body with a steep, sharp head profile; juveniles have a long first dorsal ray and mimic a drifting leaf. It usually lives solitarily on lagoon and seaward reefs with fine to loose, coarse sand, into which it dives lightning-fast when threatened. With its jaw teeth it takes small invertebrates from the bottom. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Black nabeta?

The Black nabeta has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Black nabeta live?

The Black nabeta lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Black nabeta get?

The Black nabeta grows to a maximum of about 42 cm.

Is the Black nabeta dangerous to humans?

No, the Black nabeta is harmless to humans.

Is the Black nabeta edible?

The Black nabeta is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Pauw-mesvis sourced
English name
Black nabeta verified
Scientific name
Iniistius pavo
Family
Labridae
Other names
Black razorfish; Black-barred razorfish; Blue razorfish verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Iniistius

More from the family Labridae

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