The Humphead Wrasse

It is a big fish that lives in coral reefs and is also called the Napoleon wrasse. It is easy to spot because its lips are thick and its forehead has a big bump. Humpshead wrasses can be dull blue-green, bright green or purple-blue as adults. The juveniles are white, with dark scale bars and strong black lines close to their eyes.
Like all wrasses, humphead wrasses can change sex. Some individuals who start out as females may later become boys. Researchers are still looking into the things that cause this change.

Quick Facts

A fish called the humphead wrasse is known to eat poisonous animals like the crown-of-thorns starfish. Find out more about this fish!

Range

You can find humphead wrasse all over the Indian Ocean, from the Red Sea to South Africa and the Tuamoto Islands. To the west, it goes from the Ryukyu Islands to New Caledonia.
Food: Mollusks, reef fish, sea urchins, crabs, and other invertebrates are what humphead wrasse eat. They can even eat boxfish, sea crabs, and sea hares that are poisonous.

Size

These fish are so big that they can grow up to 6 feet long and weigh 400 pounds!
Status of the population

Alert about conservation

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the humphead wrasse is threatened, and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service says it is a species of concern. Due to its slow breeding rate and predictable spawning spots, this species is very rare in the wild and is very likely to be over-fished. In the last 30 years, the number of people has dropped by half.

Predator

Because of the live reef fish trade, especially in Southeast Asia, the humphead wrasse number is going down. It is highly valued for its size, and in some places, it is seen as a treat.