Marine Life‎ > ‎Hawaii‎ > ‎Fish‎ > ‎

Wrasses A-M

Stethojulis balteata

     
(1: Shark Pit, Maui / 2: Kaloko Arches, Kona / 3: Two Step, Kona / 4: Three Fingers, Kauai / 5-6: Black Rock, Maui)

These are juveniles; the stripes fade into adulthood:
  
(1-2: Kahalu'u Beach Park, Kona)

Bird Wrasse

Gomphosus varius

       
(1: Mala Pier, Maui / 2: Garbonzo's Lair, Molokini / 3,7: Garden Eel Cove, Kona / 4: Pentagon, Kona / 5: Golden Arches, Kona / 6: Sheraton Caverns, Kauai / 8: Horseshoe Reef, Oahu)

Males are a brilliant blue-green.  Females are black and white with an orange nose; this coloration resembles a bird's feathers and beak.

Blackside Razor Wrasse

Iniistius umbrilatus

(1: Kua Bay, Kona)

These are juveniles:
 
(1-2: Kua Bay, Kona)

Blackstripe Coris

Coris flavovittata

   
(1-3: Sheraton Caverns, Kauai / 4: Vertical Awareness, Lehua)

Females have the black stripes that give this species its name.  Males are much more colorful.

Bronzespot Razor Wrasse

Iniistius celebicus

  
(1-3: Olowalu, Maui)

Christmas Wrasse

Thalassoma trilobatum

     
(1-4: Black Rock, Maui / 5-6: Kua Bay, Kona)

Cigar Wrasse

Cheilio inermis

     
(1-5: Turtle Canyons, Oahu / 6: Reef's End, Molokini)

Disappearing Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus evanidus

   
(1: Lighthouse, Lanai / 2: Turtle Canyons, Oahu / 3: Barge Harbor North, Lanai / 4: The Dome, Kona)

Eightline Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus octotaenia

       
(1: Menpachi Caves, Lanai / 2: Ice Box, Kauai / 3: Kanaka Nui, Kauai / 4-5: Garden Eel Cove, Kona / 6: Horseshoe Reef, Oahu / 7: Harbor Ledges, Kauai / 8: Hale O Honu, Kauai)

Elegant Coris

Coris venusta

 
(1: Koko Craters, Oahu / 2: Niihau Arches, Niihau)

Fivestripe Wrasse

Thalassoma quinquevitattum

 
(1-2: Amber's Arches, Kauai)

Fourline Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia

     
(1-2: Garden Eel Cove, Kona / 3: First Cathedral, Lanai / 4: Happy Talk, Kauai / 5: Niihau Arches, Niihau / 6: Paradise Pinnacle, Kona)

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse

Labroides phthirophagus

       
(1: Enenue, Molokini / 2: Kaloko Arches, Kona / 3: Tortugas, Kauai / 4: Fast Lanes, Kauai / 5: Ice Box, Kauai / 6: First Cathedral, Lanai / 7: Sheraton Caverns, Kauai / 8: Moray Eel Cove, Kona)

Fish will visit the wrasse's territory and hold still to be cleaned.  Some other species clean, mostly as juveniles, but the Hawaiian cleaner wrasse is the only fish in Hawaii that does it full-time.  I've got a whole page of pictures of Hawaiian cleaner wrasse cleaning other fish.

Subadults have a blueish front half instead of a yellow front half:
  
(1,3: Three Fingers, Kauai / 2: Kanaka Nui, Kauai)

Juveniles are black and purple:
 
(1-2: Hoover's, Kona)

Hawaiian Hogfish

Bodianus albotaeniatus

      
(1: Menpachi Caves, Lanai / 2: Enenue, Molokini / 3: Fast Lanes, Kauai / 4: Sheraton Caverns, Kauai / 5: Brennecke's Ledge, Kauai / 6: Kanaka Nui, Kauai / 7: Happy Talk, Kauai)

Juveniles are yellow and black:

 
(1: Ice Box, Kauai / 2: Stone House, Kauai)

Hawaiian Knifefish

Cymolutes lecluse

 
(1: Garden Eel Cove, Kona / 2: Red Hill, Maui)