Halichoeres radiatus
Puddingwife
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Labridae (Wrasses)
Halichoeres
Halichoeres radiatus (Puddingwife)
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, a complete lateral line, and anterior lateral line scales possessing multiple pores. Upper and lower profiles of body are 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 21 to 23. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 30%–33%, snout length 7%–11%, eye diameter 5%– 6%, upper jaw length 7%– 8%, pectoral fin length 18%–21%, body depth 28%–37%. Pectoral fin 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 naked. Lateral line is strongly arched posteriorly and has 27 pored scales.
Color in life is yellowish olive dorsally, shading to orangish yellow ventrally, with rows of blue spots and pale blue bars on body, a small dark spot on upper base of pectoral fin, and blue lines on head. Juveniles are orange dorsally, with four dark saddles below dorsal fin, dark spot on caudal fin base, and two orange stripes: one extending from eye to caudal fin base and the other from pectoral fin base to caudal peduncle. Large males have a greenish tinge and a black-edged blue bar on midflank.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Occurs in the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico but is rare along the coast of Florida.
Habitat Associations
To a depth of 50 m
Biology
Food consists of polychaetes, sea urchins, brittle stars, mollusks, crabs, and ray-finned fishes.
Maximum known size is 420 mm SL.
Adults found on shallow patch or seaward reefs down to 55 m (Ref. 9710); juveniles and subadults in shallower (1 to 5 m) coral reefs (Ref. 3726). Feeds on mollusks, sea urchins, crustaceans, and brittle stars (Ref. 9710). Marketed fresh (Ref. 3726).
Reproductive mode: protogyny; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters); parental care: paternal.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2008-04-12. Resilience: Low (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquarium: commercial.
References
Hildebrand et al. 1964
Randall and Böhlke 1965
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Bright and Cashman 1974
Hastings and Bortone 1976
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Hastings 1979
Castro-Aguirre and Márquez-Espinoza 1981
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 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.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Bardach, J.E. (1959) The summer standing crop of fish on a shallow Bermuda Reef. Limnol. Oceanogr. 4:77-85.
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.
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.
Rocha, L.A. and R.S. Rosa (2001) Halichoeres brasiliensis (Bloch, 1791), a valid wrasse species (Teleostei: Labridae) from Brazil, with notes on the Caribbean species Halichoeres radiatus (Linnaeus, 1758). aqua, J. Ichthyol. Aquat. Biol. 4(4):161-166.
Comments On Halichoeres radiatus