Cigar wrasse

📖 Overview

Inhabit seagrass beds and algal-covered flats, occasionally in lagoon and seaward reefs to a depth of at least 30 m . Benthopelagic . Usually solitary. Juveniles secretive in seagrasses or attached Sargassum; adults usually in small loose aggregations, but occasionally form large schools to spawn . Feed mainly on crustaceans, mollusks, sea urchins and other hard-shelled prey. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. Young individuals are usually a mottled brown or green, sometimes with a broad lateral stripe . Rare individuals may be uniformly yellow . Coloration in this fish is variable: green, brown, orange-brown or yellow, often with narrow, midlateral, broken black stripe which are absent in large males . Large males may develop a bright yellow, orange, black, white, or multicolored patch on their sides behind their pectoral fins .: elongated; Cross section: circular.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Cigar wrasse is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Cigar wrasse diet depends heavily on their location. In Amitori Bay they have been observed feeding on gastropods and smaller fishes, while in Nagura Bay their diet consisted of mostly shrimp. While the body size of cigar wrasse can differ in populations across the Indo-Pacific, between 4.4cm to 14.8cm, all sizes are seen in each habitat; therefore, researchers do not attribute differences in diet to size.

🥚 Reproduction

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 30 m , usually 2 - 30 m . Tropical; 24°C - 27°C ; 32°N - 36°S, 24°E - 109°W East Africa to the Hawaiian and Easter islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 62 records indexed .

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