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Halichoeres dispilus

Chameleon Wrasse
Collection Details

Specimens

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Taxonomic Hierarchy

Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes) Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri) Labridae (Wrasses) Halichoeres Halichoeres dispilus (Chameleon Wrasse)

Description

This species account was compiled from FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.) and processed using AI-assisted text extraction. It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting. When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page. Learn more about our species accounts.

Characters

Body shape: fusiform / normal.

Distribution

Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California to Bahiá Independencia, Peru, including the Galapagos Islands (Ref. 5530).

Habitat Associations

Marine. reef-associated. depth range 2-76 m. Found in: coral reefs.

Biology

Solitary (Ref. 5227).Inhabits shallow waters, over rocky or coral reefs separated by sandy areas (Ref. 9311). Feeds on small invertebrates found in the sand (Ref. 9311). Large specimens in the Gulf of California are known to feed on small blennioid fishes (Ref. 28023). Buries itself in the sand when disturbed and at night to sleep (Ref. 9311). Marketed fresh in local markets (Ref. 9311).
Max length: 25.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy. Distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2007-05-23. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Commercial or Environmental Importance

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial.

References

Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Merlen, G. (1988) A field guide to the fishes of Galapagos. Wilmot Books, London, England 60 p.
Gomon, M.F. (1995) Labridae. Viejas, doncellasas, señoritas. p. 1201-1225. In W. Fischer, F. Krupp, W. Schneider, C. Sommer, K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) Guia FAO para Identification de Especies para lo Fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. 3 Vols. FAO, Rome.
Grove, J.S. and R.J. Lavenberg (1997) The fishes of the Galápagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 863 p.

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