220: LABRIDAE (WRASSES)
margin of preopercle; longest 0 soft ray more than twice length of shortest
spine; 1st 20 spines of juveniles greatly prolonged; C rounded to subtruncate. Adults grey with a small curved black band beneath basal part ofP, a
small orange spot at base offin, a large red area anteriorly on abdomen; a
black spot on each of 1st 2 0 membranes and a whitish bar at base of C.
Juveniles reddish, green, or brown with irregular black-edged white spots
in about 4 rows on body and large black-edged white bands radiating from
eye.
Reaches 25 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. Feeds on a
wide variety of invertebrates, often obtained by turning
over rocks (hence the common name rockmover wrasse).
Juveniles mimic drifting algae.
Reaches nearly 8 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. A
secretive species like other members of the genus.
220.48 Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
(Bleeker, 1857)
PLATE 103
Sixstripe wrasse
Sesstreep-lipvis
Cheilinus hexataenia Bleeker, 1857: 4 (Ambon). Pseudocheilinus
hexataenia: Smith, SFSA No. 819*.
o IX,l1; A III,9; P 15-16 (rarely 17); LL (16-18)+(4-6); body depth
2.4-2.7 in SL; preopercle with a membranous flap at angle, the margin
above it usually finely serrate for about half its length; 3 pairs of small
canine teeth anteriorly in upper jaw followed on each side by a very large
recurved canine; lower jaw with a single pair of canines at symphysis; 2nd
A spine longer than 3rd. Body with 6 dark blue stripes alternating with
yellow-orange; a black spot slightly smaller than pupil at upper C base ; 2
small blackish spots anteriorly on lower lip ; C green.
Largest specimen 10 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. A
common cryptic coral-reef species.
220.49 Pseudocheilinus octotaenia
Jenkins, 1900
220.46 Novaculichthys taeniourus: 19.5 cm (N . Mozambique).
PLATE 103
Genus Pseudocheilinus Bleeker, 1861
Six Indo-Pacific species, 2 undescribed and 3 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la P 15-17; a black spot slightly smaller than pupil at
upper base of C; 6 dark blue stripes on upper 21, of
body; C green or greenish yellow ....... ..... ........... .... P. hexataenia
1b P 14; colour not as in 1a .. .......... ........ .................................. 2
2a Anterior LL 14-16; red, the body with numerous
fine longitudinal white lines; whitish streak extending
backwards from corner of mouth .. ......... .... .............. P. evanidus
2b Anterior LL 16-18; yellowish , the body with 8
lavender to purplish brown stripes narrower than
interspaces ... ........ ............. ....... .. ...................... P. octotaenia
220.47 Pseudocheilinus evanidus
Jenkins, 1901
PLATE 103
Striated wrasse
Strepie-lipvis
Pseudocheilinus evanidus Jenkins, 1901: 64 (Honolulu) ; Randall, 1981:
94*.
o IX,11; A III,9; P 14; LL (14-16)+(4-6); body depth 2.7-3.3 in SL;
preopercular margin smooth; 3 pairs of canine teeth anteriorly in upper
jaw, the lateral pair enlarged and recurved; cornea divided to form a
double pupil (true of other Pseudocheilinus); 2nd A spine longer than 3rd.
Red with whitish longitudinal lines on body and a bluish white streak
extending posteriorly from mouth; edge of preopercle often purple, and a
purple streak usually present on opercle (purple markings persisting as
dark blue or green in preservative).
700
Eightstripe wrasse
Agstreep-lipvis
Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins, 1900: 64, Fig. 22 (Hawaiian Ids.).
o IX,l1 ; A III ,9; P 14; LL (16-18)+(5-6); body depth 2.9-3.3 in SL;
preopercle with a membranous flap at angle, the margin above smooth; 2
pairs of moderate canine teeth anteriorly in upper jaw followed on each
side by a very large recurved canine; lower jaw with a single pairof canines
at symphysis; 2nd A spine longer than 3rd. Body yellow with 8 lavender,
magenta, or purplish brown stripes alternating with yellow (sometimes
yellow intensified to form distinct dashes); head with small orange-yellow
spots; C pale yellow, finely spotted with yellow-orange; 0 and A faintly
and narrowly striped with violet and yellow.
Attains 12 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. Pseudocheilinus margaretae Smith (1956: 929, Fig. 2) from Aldabra
illustrated here (see PI. 000), appears to be a synonym.
Genus Pseudodax Bleeker, 1861
A monotypic Indo-Pacific genus deserving placement in
its own subfamily owing to its unique dentition.
220.50 Pseudodax moluccanus
(Valenciennes, 1839)
PLATES 100& 102
Chiseltooth wrasse
Beiteltand-lipvis
Odax Moluccan us Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val. , 1839: 395 , PI. 408 ,
Fig. 2 (Molucca Ids.); Smith & Smith, 1963: 40*. Pseudodax moluccanus:
Randall , 1981: 9 c *.
o XI,12; A III,14; PIS ; LL 30-31 , continuous without a sharp bend,
body depth 2.5-2.9 in SL; a pair of large spatulate incisiform teeth anteriorly in jaws , the lower jaw with an adjacent smaller posterior pair ,
margin of preopercle; longest 0 soft ray more than twice length of shortest
spine; 1st 20 spines of juveniles greatly prolonged; C rounded to subtruncate. Adults grey with a small curved black band beneath basal part ofP, a
small orange spot at base offin, a large red area anteriorly on abdomen; a
black spot on each of 1st 2 0 membranes and a whitish bar at base of C.
Juveniles reddish, green, or brown with irregular black-edged white spots
in about 4 rows on body and large black-edged white bands radiating from
eye.
Reaches 25 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. Feeds on a
wide variety of invertebrates, often obtained by turning
over rocks (hence the common name rockmover wrasse).
Juveniles mimic drifting algae.
Reaches nearly 8 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. A
secretive species like other members of the genus.
220.48 Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
(Bleeker, 1857)
PLATE 103
Sixstripe wrasse
Sesstreep-lipvis
Cheilinus hexataenia Bleeker, 1857: 4 (Ambon). Pseudocheilinus
hexataenia: Smith, SFSA No. 819*.
o IX,l1; A III,9; P 15-16 (rarely 17); LL (16-18)+(4-6); body depth
2.4-2.7 in SL; preopercle with a membranous flap at angle, the margin
above it usually finely serrate for about half its length; 3 pairs of small
canine teeth anteriorly in upper jaw followed on each side by a very large
recurved canine; lower jaw with a single pair of canines at symphysis; 2nd
A spine longer than 3rd. Body with 6 dark blue stripes alternating with
yellow-orange; a black spot slightly smaller than pupil at upper C base ; 2
small blackish spots anteriorly on lower lip ; C green.
Largest specimen 10 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. A
common cryptic coral-reef species.
220.49 Pseudocheilinus octotaenia
Jenkins, 1900
220.46 Novaculichthys taeniourus: 19.5 cm (N . Mozambique).
PLATE 103
Genus Pseudocheilinus Bleeker, 1861
Six Indo-Pacific species, 2 undescribed and 3 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la P 15-17; a black spot slightly smaller than pupil at
upper base of C; 6 dark blue stripes on upper 21, of
body; C green or greenish yellow ....... ..... ........... .... P. hexataenia
1b P 14; colour not as in 1a .. .......... ........ .................................. 2
2a Anterior LL 14-16; red, the body with numerous
fine longitudinal white lines; whitish streak extending
backwards from corner of mouth .. ......... .... .............. P. evanidus
2b Anterior LL 16-18; yellowish , the body with 8
lavender to purplish brown stripes narrower than
interspaces ... ........ ............. ....... .. ...................... P. octotaenia
220.47 Pseudocheilinus evanidus
Jenkins, 1901
PLATE 103
Striated wrasse
Strepie-lipvis
Pseudocheilinus evanidus Jenkins, 1901: 64 (Honolulu) ; Randall, 1981:
94*.
o IX,11; A III,9; P 14; LL (14-16)+(4-6); body depth 2.7-3.3 in SL;
preopercular margin smooth; 3 pairs of canine teeth anteriorly in upper
jaw, the lateral pair enlarged and recurved; cornea divided to form a
double pupil (true of other Pseudocheilinus); 2nd A spine longer than 3rd.
Red with whitish longitudinal lines on body and a bluish white streak
extending posteriorly from mouth; edge of preopercle often purple, and a
purple streak usually present on opercle (purple markings persisting as
dark blue or green in preservative).
700
Eightstripe wrasse
Agstreep-lipvis
Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins, 1900: 64, Fig. 22 (Hawaiian Ids.).
o IX,l1 ; A III ,9; P 14; LL (16-18)+(5-6); body depth 2.9-3.3 in SL;
preopercle with a membranous flap at angle, the margin above smooth; 2
pairs of moderate canine teeth anteriorly in upper jaw followed on each
side by a very large recurved canine; lower jaw with a single pairof canines
at symphysis; 2nd A spine longer than 3rd. Body yellow with 8 lavender,
magenta, or purplish brown stripes alternating with yellow (sometimes
yellow intensified to form distinct dashes); head with small orange-yellow
spots; C pale yellow, finely spotted with yellow-orange; 0 and A faintly
and narrowly striped with violet and yellow.
Attains 12 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Natal. Pseudocheilinus margaretae Smith (1956: 929, Fig. 2) from Aldabra
illustrated here (see PI. 000), appears to be a synonym.
Genus Pseudodax Bleeker, 1861
A monotypic Indo-Pacific genus deserving placement in
its own subfamily owing to its unique dentition.
220.50 Pseudodax moluccanus
(Valenciennes, 1839)
PLATES 100& 102
Chiseltooth wrasse
Beiteltand-lipvis
Odax Moluccan us Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val. , 1839: 395 , PI. 408 ,
Fig. 2 (Molucca Ids.); Smith & Smith, 1963: 40*. Pseudodax moluccanus:
Randall , 1981: 9 c *.
o XI,12; A III,14; PIS ; LL 30-31 , continuous without a sharp bend,
body depth 2.5-2.9 in SL; a pair of large spatulate incisiform teeth anteriorly in jaws , the lower jaw with an adjacent smaller posterior pair ,