220: LABRIDAE (WRASSES)
5a 0 spines 13; 1st 3 0 spines and associated
membranes longer and nearly separate from rest
of spinous portion of fin; LL 50-52; lips very thick
and fleshy; no canine tooth posteriorly on upper
jaw............................................................. Anchichoerops
5b 0 spines 11 or 12; 1st 3 0 spines and membranes
not longer and not nearly separate from rest
of spinous portion of fin; LL 26-46; lips not
very thick and fleshy; a canine tooth posteriorly
on upper jaw (at corner of mouth) ....................................... 6
6a 0 spines 11; LL 26-28; scales dorsally on head
extending anterior to nostrils; preopercle
completely scaled .................................................. Decodon
6b 0 spines 12; LL 29-46; scales dorsally on head not
extending anterior to nostrils (usually not
anterior to eyes); preopercle not completely
scaled ................................................................. Bodianus
7a 0 XI,9 ............................................................ Cirrhilabrus
7b DIX,l1 .............................. [Paracheilinus Fourmanoir, 1955]
8a LL complete .................................................................. 9
8b LL interrupted (see 2b above) ........................................... 24
9a LL sloping gradually as it passes from upper end
of gill opening to midbase of C; gill membranes of
each side not attached to isthmus but form a free fold ............. 10
9b LL abruptly deflected downward below rear of 0
to midlateral part on C peduncle; gill membranes
joined to isthmus ............................................................ 11
lOa A pair of spatulate incisiform teeth anteriorly
in each jaw forming a beak-like structure (a 2nd
smaller sickle-shaped incisor in lower jaw);D XI,12;
A III,14; LL 32; body not elongate, the depth
2.5-2.7 in SL ....................................................... Pseudodax
lOb Front teeth in jaws caniniform; 0 IX,13; A III,11-12;
LL 45-49; body very elongate, the depth 5.5-8.0
in SL ..................................................................... Cheilio
11a 0 VIII ......................................................................... 12
llb 0 IX ........................................................................... 13
12a Snout of adults very long and tubular, 1.7-2.0 in
head; 2 pairs of canines anteriorly in jaws ............... Gomphosus
12b Snout not long and tubular, 2.5-3.4 in head; 1 pair
of canines anteriorly in upper jaw and 1 or 2
pairs in lower .................................................... Thalassoma
13a Preopercular margin covered by scales (no free
edge); top of head scaled to nostrils, and lower
part of head scaled anterior to eye ......................... Labrichthys
13b Preopercular margin not covered by scales (at
least part of margin free); scales on head not
extending anterior to eye, either dorsally or
ventrally ....................................................................... 14
14a Lips very thick and fleshy, plicate internally and
externally, forming a tubular structure when mouth
closed; adults with no teeth on side of upper jaw
between anterior canines and canine at corner
of mouth (some species of Anampses lack teeth on
side of jaws but they also lack canines); visible
A spines 2 (dissection or radiograph needed
to reveal the presence of tiny 1st A
spine) .... '" .................................... [Labropsis Schmidt, 1930]
14b Lips not as in 14a; teeth present on side of upper
jaw; visible A spines 3 (some Stethojulis have
a tiny 1st A spine that may require dissection to detect) ........... 15
684
15a Lower lip distinctly bilobed, the 2 lobes separated
by a U-shaped notch ............................................. Labroides
15b Lowerlip not distinctly bilobed .......................................... 16
16a LL 91-118 (our species 97-112) ......................... Hologymnosus
16b LL 25-86 (except the extralimital Coris sandageri
Phillipps, 1927, with LL 88-95; our Coris species
with LL 49-80) ............................................................... 17
17 a A pair of forward-proj ecting incisiform teeth
anteriorly in each jaw, the upper pair broader,
usually with upcurved pointed tips; remaining
jaw teeth minute or absent (none at corner of
mouth) ............................................................... Anampses
17b Canine teeth at front of jaws; distinct conical
teeth along sides of jaws (except in Pseudojuloides);
a canine tooth often present at corner of mouth ..................... 18
18a LL 49-86 ...................................................................... 19
18b LL 25-29 ...................................................................... 20
19a Canine teeth of upper jaw laterally
curved; C emarginate (may be truncate in
juveniles), sometimes with lobes produced;
no enlarged molariform teeth on pharyngeal
bones .......................................... [Pseudocoris Bleeker, 1862]
19b Canine teeth of upper jaw not laterally curved;
C truncate to rounded (usually slightly rounded);
some enlarged molariform teeth on pharyngeal
bones ....................................................................... Coris
20a No canine teeth at front of jaws; scales on chest
as large as those of rest of body ................................ Stethojulis
20b Canine teeth at front of jaws; scales on chest distinctly
smaller than those of rest of body ....................................... 21
21a Lips very thick and fleshy, the lower split in
median line; a near-vertical band of small scales on
preopercle, commencing behind eye; body depth
2.4-2.7 in SL .................................................... Hemigymnus
21b Lips not very thick and fleshy, the lower not
split in median line; no near-vertical band of small
scales on preopercle (except Halichoeres hortulanus);
body depth 2.3-5.6 in SL .................................................. 22
22a Side of jaws with small, chisel-like, incisiform
teeth; body elongate, depth 3.8-5.6 in SL ............ Pseudojuloides
22b Side of jaws with conical teeth; body depth 2.3-4.6
in SL ........................................................................... 23
23a Posterior free margin of preopercle short, not
reaching level oflower edge of eye (usually not
above level of mouth); ventral margin extending little
beyond the rounded corner; lower pharyngeal plate
with a huge posterior molar flanked by only 1-3
small teeth and preceded by 4-9 small teeth ... Macropharyngodon
23b Posterior free margin of preopercle not short,
reaching or extending above level of lower edge
of eye; vental margin reaching below or anterior
to front of eye; lower pharyngeal plate with one
or more large molars (but none of such a large
size as that of Macropharyngodon), flanked
on each side by 8 or more small teeth and preceded
by 10 or more small teeth ..................................... H alichoeres
24a LL 48-68+ 15-22 .................................................. Cymolutes
24b LL 13-22+5-9 ................................................................ 25
5a 0 spines 13; 1st 3 0 spines and associated
membranes longer and nearly separate from rest
of spinous portion of fin; LL 50-52; lips very thick
and fleshy; no canine tooth posteriorly on upper
jaw............................................................. Anchichoerops
5b 0 spines 11 or 12; 1st 3 0 spines and membranes
not longer and not nearly separate from rest
of spinous portion of fin; LL 26-46; lips not
very thick and fleshy; a canine tooth posteriorly
on upper jaw (at corner of mouth) ....................................... 6
6a 0 spines 11; LL 26-28; scales dorsally on head
extending anterior to nostrils; preopercle
completely scaled .................................................. Decodon
6b 0 spines 12; LL 29-46; scales dorsally on head not
extending anterior to nostrils (usually not
anterior to eyes); preopercle not completely
scaled ................................................................. Bodianus
7a 0 XI,9 ............................................................ Cirrhilabrus
7b DIX,l1 .............................. [Paracheilinus Fourmanoir, 1955]
8a LL complete .................................................................. 9
8b LL interrupted (see 2b above) ........................................... 24
9a LL sloping gradually as it passes from upper end
of gill opening to midbase of C; gill membranes of
each side not attached to isthmus but form a free fold ............. 10
9b LL abruptly deflected downward below rear of 0
to midlateral part on C peduncle; gill membranes
joined to isthmus ............................................................ 11
lOa A pair of spatulate incisiform teeth anteriorly
in each jaw forming a beak-like structure (a 2nd
smaller sickle-shaped incisor in lower jaw);D XI,12;
A III,14; LL 32; body not elongate, the depth
2.5-2.7 in SL ....................................................... Pseudodax
lOb Front teeth in jaws caniniform; 0 IX,13; A III,11-12;
LL 45-49; body very elongate, the depth 5.5-8.0
in SL ..................................................................... Cheilio
11a 0 VIII ......................................................................... 12
llb 0 IX ........................................................................... 13
12a Snout of adults very long and tubular, 1.7-2.0 in
head; 2 pairs of canines anteriorly in jaws ............... Gomphosus
12b Snout not long and tubular, 2.5-3.4 in head; 1 pair
of canines anteriorly in upper jaw and 1 or 2
pairs in lower .................................................... Thalassoma
13a Preopercular margin covered by scales (no free
edge); top of head scaled to nostrils, and lower
part of head scaled anterior to eye ......................... Labrichthys
13b Preopercular margin not covered by scales (at
least part of margin free); scales on head not
extending anterior to eye, either dorsally or
ventrally ....................................................................... 14
14a Lips very thick and fleshy, plicate internally and
externally, forming a tubular structure when mouth
closed; adults with no teeth on side of upper jaw
between anterior canines and canine at corner
of mouth (some species of Anampses lack teeth on
side of jaws but they also lack canines); visible
A spines 2 (dissection or radiograph needed
to reveal the presence of tiny 1st A
spine) .... '" .................................... [Labropsis Schmidt, 1930]
14b Lips not as in 14a; teeth present on side of upper
jaw; visible A spines 3 (some Stethojulis have
a tiny 1st A spine that may require dissection to detect) ........... 15
684
15a Lower lip distinctly bilobed, the 2 lobes separated
by a U-shaped notch ............................................. Labroides
15b Lowerlip not distinctly bilobed .......................................... 16
16a LL 91-118 (our species 97-112) ......................... Hologymnosus
16b LL 25-86 (except the extralimital Coris sandageri
Phillipps, 1927, with LL 88-95; our Coris species
with LL 49-80) ............................................................... 17
17 a A pair of forward-proj ecting incisiform teeth
anteriorly in each jaw, the upper pair broader,
usually with upcurved pointed tips; remaining
jaw teeth minute or absent (none at corner of
mouth) ............................................................... Anampses
17b Canine teeth at front of jaws; distinct conical
teeth along sides of jaws (except in Pseudojuloides);
a canine tooth often present at corner of mouth ..................... 18
18a LL 49-86 ...................................................................... 19
18b LL 25-29 ...................................................................... 20
19a Canine teeth of upper jaw laterally
curved; C emarginate (may be truncate in
juveniles), sometimes with lobes produced;
no enlarged molariform teeth on pharyngeal
bones .......................................... [Pseudocoris Bleeker, 1862]
19b Canine teeth of upper jaw not laterally curved;
C truncate to rounded (usually slightly rounded);
some enlarged molariform teeth on pharyngeal
bones ....................................................................... Coris
20a No canine teeth at front of jaws; scales on chest
as large as those of rest of body ................................ Stethojulis
20b Canine teeth at front of jaws; scales on chest distinctly
smaller than those of rest of body ....................................... 21
21a Lips very thick and fleshy, the lower split in
median line; a near-vertical band of small scales on
preopercle, commencing behind eye; body depth
2.4-2.7 in SL .................................................... Hemigymnus
21b Lips not very thick and fleshy, the lower not
split in median line; no near-vertical band of small
scales on preopercle (except Halichoeres hortulanus);
body depth 2.3-5.6 in SL .................................................. 22
22a Side of jaws with small, chisel-like, incisiform
teeth; body elongate, depth 3.8-5.6 in SL ............ Pseudojuloides
22b Side of jaws with conical teeth; body depth 2.3-4.6
in SL ........................................................................... 23
23a Posterior free margin of preopercle short, not
reaching level oflower edge of eye (usually not
above level of mouth); ventral margin extending little
beyond the rounded corner; lower pharyngeal plate
with a huge posterior molar flanked by only 1-3
small teeth and preceded by 4-9 small teeth ... Macropharyngodon
23b Posterior free margin of preopercle not short,
reaching or extending above level of lower edge
of eye; vental margin reaching below or anterior
to front of eye; lower pharyngeal plate with one
or more large molars (but none of such a large
size as that of Macropharyngodon), flanked
on each side by 8 or more small teeth and preceded
by 10 or more small teeth ..................................... H alichoeres
24a LL 48-68+ 15-22 .................................................. Cymolutes
24b LL 13-22+5-9 ................................................................ 25