Halichoeres bivittatus
Slippery Dick
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Labridae (Wrasses)
Halichoeres
Halichoeres bivittatus (Slippery Dick)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Moderately elongate, pointed snout, complete lateral line, two dark stripes on body, upper and lower profiles of body nearly symmetrical. Mouth has a prominent downward-projecting flap extending from lower lip. Upper jaw has a single outward-directed canine near symphysis, a row of smaller teeth, and a small canine in corner. Lower jaw has two pairs of forward-directed canines near symphysis and a row of smaller teeth. Preopercular membrane is filamentous. Gill membranes are broadly joined and united with isthmus. Gill rakers on first arch are short and number 16 to 19. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 26%–32%, snout length 7%–11%, eye diameter 4%–5%, upper jaw length 6%–9%, pectoral fin length 15%–19%, body depth 22%–30%. Pectoral fin is fanlike and has 13 rays. Dorsal fin has nine spines and 11 rays, with membrane behind spines forming short tabs. Anal fin has three spines and 12 rays. Caudal fin is slightly rounded. Body and base of caudal fin are covered with scales, but head is largely naked. Lateral line is strongly arched posteriorly and consists of 27 pored scales. Anterior lateral line scales have more than one pore (often four or five).
Color is pale green dorsally and light greenish yellow on sides and ventrally. Two dark stripes are present on flank; upper one runs from snout to caudal fin base, and lower one is less distinct and runs along lower flank. Upper opercular margin has a bicolored spot, and a small black spot is located at posterior base of dorsal fin. Tips of caudal fin are black in adults.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from the Carolinas and Bermuda to Brazil, including the eastern, northern, and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Antilles.
Habitat Associations
Shallow water, associated with shallow reefs, sandy areas around reefs, and sea-grass beds.
Reefs, sandy areas around reefs, and sea-grass beds.
Biology
Food consists of polychaetes, mollusks, sea urchins, brittle stars, crabs, and ray-finned fishes.
Maximum known size is 237 mm SL.
Commonly found in rocky and reef areas in shallow waters. Less common in seagrass beds. Feeds on other fishes (Ref. 5521) and gastropods (Ref. 9626). Forms leks during breeding (Ref. 55367). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367).
Reproductive mode: protogyny; fertilization: external; nonguarders. Diandric. Pelagic spawner (Ref. 32222). Sex reversal is completed in more than 3-4 weeks (Ref. 34185, 34257). Length at sex change = 30.2 cm TL (Ref. 55367).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2008-03-12. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Springer and Hoese 1958
Randall and Böhlke 1965
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Hastings and Bortone 1976
Hastings 1979
Castro-Aguirre and Márquez-Espinoza 1981
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Vega-Cendejas et al. 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Westneat 2002a
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
García-Cagide, A., R. Claro and B.V. Koshelev (1994) Reproducción. p. 187-262. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Inst. Oceanol. Acad. Cienc. Cuba. and Cen. Invest. Quintana Roo (CIQRO) México.
Allsop, D.J. and S.A. West (2003) Constant relative age and size at sex change for sequentially hermaphroditic fish. J. Evol. Biol. 16(2003):921-929.
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