colour phase exhibits 2 pale stripes on upper dark part of body. Terminal
males with 3 continuous longitudinal blue lines on body; along base of D
(extending to upper eye), midlateral from C to corner of mouth, and lower
C peduncle to P axil.
Attains 13 cm. Indian Ocean, from Red Sea to Natal.
Mainly a shallow-reef dweller. Like other Stethojulis,
almost constantly in motion under pectoral power, feeding
on a great variety of small invertebrates (especially crustaceans and molluscs) ingested by quick pecks at rocky bottom or by intake of sand, sorting out food organisms while
swimming away.
220.56 Stethojulis interrupta
(Bleeker, 1851)
PLATE 103
Cutribbon wrasse
Snylint-lipvis
Julis (Halichoeres) interruptus Bleeker, 1851: 252 (Banda Neira). Julis
(Halichoeres) kallasoma Bleeker, 1852: 289 (Ambon). Stethojulis interrupta: Smith, SFSA No. 803*; Randall & Kay, 1974: 103. Stethojulis
phekadopleura (non Bleeker): Smith, SFSA No. 804*.
D IX,ll; A m,ll; P 13 (rarely 12); LL 25, deflected downward below
posterior D; total GR 19-23; body depth 3.6-4.1 in SL; head naked; dentition as in S. albovittata. Initial phase yellowish brown to olive grey on
dorsal half of body, white below with blackish dots, the 2 zones usually
separated by a diffuse blackish stripe; a pale-edged, black horizontal line
from beneath P to eye. Terminal male greenish to olive grey on upper half
of body with a blue line on back adjacent to D (extending to upper C
base), white below, with a blue line separating the 2 zones posteriorly; a
short blue line on upper chest, ending at lower P base; an orange spot
above P base.
Reaches 13 cm. Western Pacific to east Africa, south to
Algoa Bay.
220.57 Stethojulis strigiventer
(Bennett, 1832)
PLATE 101
Three-ribbon wrasse
Drielint-lipvis
Julis strigiventer Bennett, 1832: 184 (Mauritius). Julis (Halichoeres) Renardi Bleeker, 1851: 253 (Banda Neira). Stethojulis renardi: Smith, SFSA
No. 799*. Stethojulis strigiventer: Smith, SFSA No. SOl*; Randall, 1955:
237.
D IX,ll; A m,ll; P 15 (rarely 14); LL25, deflected sharply downward
beneath posterior D; total GR 24-28; body depth 3.5-3.9 in SL; head
naked; dentition as in previous species. Initial phase greenish to brownish
grey dorsally with faint pale longitudinal lines; white ventrally, with dark
longitudinal lines, a small blue-edged dark spot at base of C above midlateralline. Terminal males greenish to yellowish brown dorsally, white ventrally, with a blue line from snout through upper eye to middle of C,
another from nape along base of D, 1 from front of snout to upper P base,
separated by a red band from a blue line across upper chest at level of P
base and extending to middle of body; a small black spot dorsally on opercular flap; small dark spot on C base as in initial phase, but not blueedged.
220: LABRIDAE (WRASSES)
Attains 15 cm. Central Pacific to east Africa, south to
Algoa Bay. Preferred habitat, substrate with heavy benthic
plant growth.
Genus Thalassoma Swainson, 1839
Twenty-two species, of which 4 occur in the Atlantic, 3 in
the eastern Pacific, and the rest Indo-Pacific; 8 species
occur in our area. Genus reviewed by Heiser, PhD thesis,
1981.
KEY TO SPECIES
la No scales dorsally on opercle; initial phase
with a broad blackish stripe from snout through
eye to C base; terminal male with green head and
chest, broad yellow zone dorsoanteriorly on body,
the rest reddish with vertical green lines ........... T. amblycephalum
Ib Small patch of scales dorsally on opercle; colour
not as in Ia ...................................................................... 2
2a Body with 6 black bars which are progressively
shorter posteriorly, the 1st passing beneath P
to abdomen, the last a saddle-like spot
on C peduncle ................................................... T. hardwicke
2b Body without a series of black bars ....................................... 3
3a Adults with a yellow bar from below front of D,
passing beneath P to abdomen; head yellowish with
narrow blue bands, the most evident a long
semicircular one on cheek and one parallel to
it posteriorly from eye ......................................... T. hebraicum
3b Colour not as in 3a ............................................................ 4
4a P usually 15; body forest green with vertical red to
purplish red lines; head green to blue with irregular
pink to violet bands; adults with large yellow crescent
posteriorly in C and blue P with a large elongate
pink area in upper part; juveniles with a large
blackish spot in middle of D and a large diffuse
blackish spot at base of C .......................................... T. lunare
4b P usually 16; colour not as in 4a ............................................ 5
5a Body of initial phase dark brown dorsally, shading
to yellowish on C peduncle and greenish ventrally,
with a vertical red line on each scale; head dark
reddish on dorsal half, mainly yellowish on cheek;
terminal males with a broad black longitudinal
band on upper Y2 of body, shading to yellow
dorsoanteriorly and abruptly yellow on posterior
C peduncle; lower Y2 of body blue-green; head
blackish above, light blue-green below eye,
shading to pale yellow posteriorly ....................... T. genivittatum
5b Upper 2/} of body pink to orange with 2 longitudinal
rows of vertically elongate (often rectangular)
green to blue-green spots which may be partially
joined to form stripes ......................................................... 6
6a Head rose pink with 4 narrow blue to green bands
radiating from eye and a long, narrow, semicircular
blue or green band on cheek; unsealed part of C
yellow to orange with a blue or green-edged
rose band in each lobe ................................. T. quinquevittatum
6b Head not coloured as in 6a; C either longitudinally
streaked with green or blue or solid blue ................................ 7
703
males with 3 continuous longitudinal blue lines on body; along base of D
(extending to upper eye), midlateral from C to corner of mouth, and lower
C peduncle to P axil.
Attains 13 cm. Indian Ocean, from Red Sea to Natal.
Mainly a shallow-reef dweller. Like other Stethojulis,
almost constantly in motion under pectoral power, feeding
on a great variety of small invertebrates (especially crustaceans and molluscs) ingested by quick pecks at rocky bottom or by intake of sand, sorting out food organisms while
swimming away.
220.56 Stethojulis interrupta
(Bleeker, 1851)
PLATE 103
Cutribbon wrasse
Snylint-lipvis
Julis (Halichoeres) interruptus Bleeker, 1851: 252 (Banda Neira). Julis
(Halichoeres) kallasoma Bleeker, 1852: 289 (Ambon). Stethojulis interrupta: Smith, SFSA No. 803*; Randall & Kay, 1974: 103. Stethojulis
phekadopleura (non Bleeker): Smith, SFSA No. 804*.
D IX,ll; A m,ll; P 13 (rarely 12); LL 25, deflected downward below
posterior D; total GR 19-23; body depth 3.6-4.1 in SL; head naked; dentition as in S. albovittata. Initial phase yellowish brown to olive grey on
dorsal half of body, white below with blackish dots, the 2 zones usually
separated by a diffuse blackish stripe; a pale-edged, black horizontal line
from beneath P to eye. Terminal male greenish to olive grey on upper half
of body with a blue line on back adjacent to D (extending to upper C
base), white below, with a blue line separating the 2 zones posteriorly; a
short blue line on upper chest, ending at lower P base; an orange spot
above P base.
Reaches 13 cm. Western Pacific to east Africa, south to
Algoa Bay.
220.57 Stethojulis strigiventer
(Bennett, 1832)
PLATE 101
Three-ribbon wrasse
Drielint-lipvis
Julis strigiventer Bennett, 1832: 184 (Mauritius). Julis (Halichoeres) Renardi Bleeker, 1851: 253 (Banda Neira). Stethojulis renardi: Smith, SFSA
No. 799*. Stethojulis strigiventer: Smith, SFSA No. SOl*; Randall, 1955:
237.
D IX,ll; A m,ll; P 15 (rarely 14); LL25, deflected sharply downward
beneath posterior D; total GR 24-28; body depth 3.5-3.9 in SL; head
naked; dentition as in previous species. Initial phase greenish to brownish
grey dorsally with faint pale longitudinal lines; white ventrally, with dark
longitudinal lines, a small blue-edged dark spot at base of C above midlateralline. Terminal males greenish to yellowish brown dorsally, white ventrally, with a blue line from snout through upper eye to middle of C,
another from nape along base of D, 1 from front of snout to upper P base,
separated by a red band from a blue line across upper chest at level of P
base and extending to middle of body; a small black spot dorsally on opercular flap; small dark spot on C base as in initial phase, but not blueedged.
220: LABRIDAE (WRASSES)
Attains 15 cm. Central Pacific to east Africa, south to
Algoa Bay. Preferred habitat, substrate with heavy benthic
plant growth.
Genus Thalassoma Swainson, 1839
Twenty-two species, of which 4 occur in the Atlantic, 3 in
the eastern Pacific, and the rest Indo-Pacific; 8 species
occur in our area. Genus reviewed by Heiser, PhD thesis,
1981.
KEY TO SPECIES
la No scales dorsally on opercle; initial phase
with a broad blackish stripe from snout through
eye to C base; terminal male with green head and
chest, broad yellow zone dorsoanteriorly on body,
the rest reddish with vertical green lines ........... T. amblycephalum
Ib Small patch of scales dorsally on opercle; colour
not as in Ia ...................................................................... 2
2a Body with 6 black bars which are progressively
shorter posteriorly, the 1st passing beneath P
to abdomen, the last a saddle-like spot
on C peduncle ................................................... T. hardwicke
2b Body without a series of black bars ....................................... 3
3a Adults with a yellow bar from below front of D,
passing beneath P to abdomen; head yellowish with
narrow blue bands, the most evident a long
semicircular one on cheek and one parallel to
it posteriorly from eye ......................................... T. hebraicum
3b Colour not as in 3a ............................................................ 4
4a P usually 15; body forest green with vertical red to
purplish red lines; head green to blue with irregular
pink to violet bands; adults with large yellow crescent
posteriorly in C and blue P with a large elongate
pink area in upper part; juveniles with a large
blackish spot in middle of D and a large diffuse
blackish spot at base of C .......................................... T. lunare
4b P usually 16; colour not as in 4a ............................................ 5
5a Body of initial phase dark brown dorsally, shading
to yellowish on C peduncle and greenish ventrally,
with a vertical red line on each scale; head dark
reddish on dorsal half, mainly yellowish on cheek;
terminal males with a broad black longitudinal
band on upper Y2 of body, shading to yellow
dorsoanteriorly and abruptly yellow on posterior
C peduncle; lower Y2 of body blue-green; head
blackish above, light blue-green below eye,
shading to pale yellow posteriorly ....................... T. genivittatum
5b Upper 2/} of body pink to orange with 2 longitudinal
rows of vertically elongate (often rectangular)
green to blue-green spots which may be partially
joined to form stripes ......................................................... 6
6a Head rose pink with 4 narrow blue to green bands
radiating from eye and a long, narrow, semicircular
blue or green band on cheek; unsealed part of C
yellow to orange with a blue or green-edged
rose band in each lobe ................................. T. quinquevittatum
6b Head not coloured as in 6a; C either longitudinally
streaked with green or blue or solid blue ................................ 7
703