Halichoeres poeyi
Blackear Wrasse
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Labridae (Wrasses)
Halichoeres
Halichoeres poeyi (Blackear Wrasse)
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, with a pointed snout, complete lateral line, and black spot behind eye. 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 canines near symphysis, a row of small teeth, and a small canine in corner of mouth. Preopercular membrane is filamentous. Gill membranes are broadly joined and united with isthmus. Gill rakers on first arch are short and number 17 to 20. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 29%–31%, snout length 9%–11%, eye diameter 4%–5%, upper jaw length 6%–8%, pectoral fin length 16%–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 tab. 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 naked. Lateral line is strongly arched posteriorly and has 27 pored scales, with anterior scales bearing multiple pores.
Color in life is yellowish green, with red-edged black spot behind eye, small black spot at end of dorsal fin base, and dark blue line at pectoral fin base. Large males are dull green, with center of each scale marked by an orangish red spot. Irregularity in size of spots produces rose-colored bars on head and wavy diagonal bands on tail.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from southeastern Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil, including the eastern and southern Gulf of Mexico and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Habitat Associations
To a depth of 49 m. Associated with sea-grass beds and, to a lesser extent, coral and rocky reefs.
Sea-grass beds, coral reefs, rocky reefs
Biology
Maximum known size is 163 mm SL
Maximum depth from Ref. 126840. Commonly found in clear seagrass beds; uncommon on reefs or muddy bays (Ref. 9710). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367). Generally of no interest to fisheries because of its small average size (Ref. 5217).
Reproductive mode: protogyny; fertilization: external. Diandric. Forms leks during breeding (Ref. 55367). Length at sex change = 8.3 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
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Randall and Böhlke 1965
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Hastings and Bortone 1976
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Smith 1997
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.
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