WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Knife Razorfish

Cymolutes praetextatus

Also known as: Knife Razor Wrasse, Knife Wrasse, Knifefish, Razor Wrasse, Sandreef Wrasse

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@DFunk · Hotel Intercontinental Bora Bora, French Polynesia · April 20171 / 3

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found singly, over current swept rubble, sand, and weedy areas, of shallow lagoons and reef flats, diving into the sand and "swimming," when alarmed, and to sleep.

Most reef fish seen by divers during the day, are grazers, they cruise around, just above the surface of the coral, or snoop into crevices, foraging for food.
Wrasses have small protruding teeth, which they use to graze the bottom, taking in a variety of algae, crustaceans, such as crabs, eggs, shrimps, snails and worms. Any hard coats or thick shells, are then ground down by their pharyngeal jaws, and the delicacies inside digested.
From juvenile to adult, wrasses dramatically alter their colour and body shapes.
Wrasses are always on the go during the day, but are the first to go to bed and the last to rise.
Small wrasses dive below the sand to sleep, and larger wrasses wedge themselves in crevices.

02

How to identify

COLOURS

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03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found singly, over current swept rubble, sand, and weedy areas, of shallow lagoons and reef flats, diving into the sand and "swimming," when alarmed, and to sleep.

04

Adult photos 3

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderEupercaria incertae sedis
    5. familyLabridae
    6. genusCymolutes
    7. speciesCymolutes praetextatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Wrasses (Labridae)