Halichoeres hortulanus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Labridae (Wrasses)
Halichoeres
Halichoeres hortulanus
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.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Some geographical variations between Indian and Pacific Ocean and Red Sea. Adults with one or two yellow saddles over the back and sometimes with small black spot on upper peduncle. Small juveniles black and white, gradually changing with growth to adult pattern (Ref. 48636). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay, South Africa and east to the Line, Marquesas and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-40 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs, seagrass beds.
Biology
Inhabits sand patches of lagoon and seaward reefs to at least 30 m (Ref. 1602); also on slopes to moderate depths along drop-offs (Ref. 48636). Juveniles common at the bottom of surge channels (Ref. 9710). Feeds mainly on hard-shelled prey, including mollusks, crustaceans and sea urchins (9823).
Max length: 27.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy. Distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2008-04-12. Resilience: High (K=0.7).
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.
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
Coleman, R., J.M. Copus, D.M. Coffey, R.K. Whitton and B.W. Bowen (2018) Shifting reef fish assemblages along a depth gradient in Pohnpei, Micronesia. PeerJ, 6: e4650. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4650
Comments On Halichoeres hortulanus