Genus Notolabrus

A genus with seven species confined to the Australian and New Zealand region, including islands and reefs in the Tasman Sea.

Meristic features.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: IX, 11
Anal fin spines/rays: III, 10
Caudal fin rays: 12
Pectoral fin rays: 14
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 24-26

Body moderately deep, compressed.  Head moderately large, dorsal profile convex; eyes moderately large; mouth small, upper jaw  not reaching as far as eye; teeth moderately large, caniniform, anterior two pairs in both jaws enlarged and recurved; upper jaw lacking enlarged canines at rear.

Scales moderately large, covering body; no scaly sheath at base of dorsal and anal fins; head naked except for scales on cheek and opercle; lateral-line abruptly curved downwards below soft dorsal fin. 

Dorsal fin continuous with an elongate base and uniform height; anal fin similar to rear half of dorsal fin; caudal fin truncate. Pectoral fins moderately large, upper rays longest, not reaching near anus. Pelvic fins short, arising beneath pectoral-fin bases, not reaching near anus.

Recent molecular phylogenetic work by Mabuchi et al. (2004) and Westneat and Alvaro (2005) indicates that Notolabrus is closely related to Pseudolabrus and that separate generic status may not be warranted.