WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Rosy Razorfish

Xyrichtys martinicensis

Also known as: Razorfish, Sand Wrasse, Straight-tail Razorfish, Straight-tailed Razorfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@Goonie · Mexico · January 20121 / 4

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

01

Overview

Found singly or in loose schools, hovering over open sand flats, ridges, slopes and seagrass beds, especially manatee grass in coastal reefs. When disturbed they will dive into the sand, they can "swim" for long distances through the sand to deter predators. Varies in colour, females lose their body bar with age.

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

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03

Habitat & where to find it

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

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 4
LIVES IN

Found singly or in loose schools, hovering over open sand flats, ridges, slopes and seagrass beds, especially manatee grass in coastal reefs.

04

Adult photos 4

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. genusXyrichtys
    7. speciesXyrichtys martinicensis Valenciennes, 1840

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Wrasses (Labridae)