Redbreasted wrasse
(Cheilinus fasciatus)
General data
The red-breasted wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Description
This species can reach a maximum of 40 cm (16 in) in standard length. Its head is greenish-blue, followed by a distinctive red-orange band followed by black and white stripes. Terminal phase fishes generally have a more pronounced red band and convex forehead than initial phase and juvenile fish.
Distribution
The red-breasted wrasse is native to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and the African coast to the islands of the western Pacific.
Habitat and diet
The red-breasted wrasse lives in lagoons and seaward reefs in areas mixing rubble, coral, and sand at depths of from 4 to 60 m (13 to 197 ft) though rarer below 40 m (130 ft).
It feeds mainly on crustaceans, sea urchins, hard-shelled invertebrates, and mollusks.
