Genus Paracheilinus


Summary:

A, Indo-Pacific genus of colourful wrasses, with four species found in Australian waters. Species are typically distinguished on the basis of their caudal-fin and dorsal-fin shapes, the presence or absence of elongate filamentous dorsal-fin rays, and, in particular, the colour of terminal-phase (TP) males, including their dramatic nuptial-display patterns.

Flasherwrasses typically inhabit rubble bottoms, or Halimeda algal beds, on outer-reef slopes. Although found in depths of  5–70 m, they are most abundant between about 15–40 m. They form harems or aggregations of up to 100 individuals containing terminal males, and many smaller females and juveniles.

Author: Bray, D.J. 2023

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2023, Paracheilinus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/genus/1082

References


Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Allen, G.R., Erdmann, M.V. & Yusmalinda, N.L.A. 2016. Review of the Indo-Pacific Flasherwrasses of the genus Paracheilinus (Perciformes: Labridae), with descriptions of three new species. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 19: 18–90. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.46267

Kuiter, R.H. 2002. Fairy & Rainbow Wrasses and their Relatives. Chorleywood, U.K. : TMC Publishing 207 pp.