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Deepseawaters Home Deepsea
AnimalsHumphead Wrasse
Humphead Wrasse
Common Name: Humphead Wrasse
Scientific Name: Cheilinus Undulatus
Description
 The
Humphead Wrasse can be recognised by its
colour, pattern and shape. The colouring varies with age and
sex. They have thick fleshy lips and a hump that forms on
the head above the eyes. The hump becomes more prominent with
age. The Humphead Wrasse is generally bright electric blue
to a duller blue/green, green or purplish blue. Juveniles
and females are red-orange above and red-orange to white below.
Mature males develop a black stripe along the sides, blue
spots on each of the body scales and blue scribbles on the
head.
Diet
Humphead
Wrasse
mainly eat during the day and can be seen feasting on shellfish,
crushing the shells to get to the animal within, fish, sea
stars, sea urchins and crabs. They crush large chunks of dead
coral rubble with peg-like teeth to feed on the burrowing
mussels and worms.
Behaviour
Humphead
Wrasse
mainly feed during daylight hours and individuals rest at
night below large boulders or in crevices.
Life History
The
Humphead Wrasse reaches a very large size.
A specimen of 229cm in length and weighing 190.5 kg has been
recorded, although this remains to be confirmed. Females reach
maturity at 50 cm in length.
Habitat
 Humphead
Wrasse
is mainly found on coral reef edges and drop-offs. Juveniles
can be found among branching corals in shallow lagoons while
adults prefer the upper margins of clear lagoon pinnacles
and steep coral slopes to at least 100m, but occasionally
up to 160m depth. Humphead Wrasse move into shallow bays during
the day to feed. They tend to move into deeper waters as they
grow older and larger. Adults, therefore, are more common
offshore than inshore.
Special Features or Habits
The
Humphead Wrasse is one of the few predators
of toxic animals such as Sea Hares, Boxfish
and Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish. Humphead Wrasse change
sex from female to male. The factors that control the timing
of sex change are not yet known.
Location or Region Found
This
species ranges throughout Great Barrier Reef
waters northward to Papua New Guinea and westward through
reef waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
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