WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Rockmover Wrasse

Novaculichthys taeniourus

Also known as: Bar-cheeked Wrasse, Carpet Wrasse, Dragon Wrasse, Masked Wrasse, Olive-scribbled Wrasse, Reindeer Wrasse, Rockmover, Sand Wrasse

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Flair Point - Coral Sea, Australia · July 20091 / 26

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

01

Overview

Found in pairs, in areas of mixed rubble and sand, where one fish lifts and turns a piece of rubble while the other fish catches the prey, over semi-exposed reef flats, lagoons and seaward reefs.

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

Head & Mouth
grey face
Behaviour
pairs

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

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

  • Range · Indo-Pacific, Eastern Pacific
  • Dive site · 1
  • Country only · 25
LIVES IN

Found in pairs, in areas of mixed rubble and sand, where one fish lifts and turns a piece of rubble while the other fish catches the prey, over semi-exposed reef flats, lagoons and seaward reefs.

04

Adult photos 26

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. genusNovaculichthys
    7. speciesNovaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepède, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Wrasses (Labridae)