Floral Wrasse

Cheilinus chlorourus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Cheilinus
Species: Cheilinus chlorourus

The floral wrasse (Cheilinus chlorourus) is a stocky wrasse covered in tiny white and orange-red spots, with mottled bands that help it blend into rubble and algae. Its fins are often edged or spotted with pale dots.

It reaches about 35-45 cm and feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and other invertebrates, which it crunches with strong jaws. It is a cautious fish that tends to stay close to cover in lagoons and on reef flats.

The floral wrasse is found throughout the Indo-Pacific, including the Philippines, where it lives over rubble, sand and coral in shallow water. It is a relative of the redbreasted wrasse.