Doubleline Wrasse, Wetmorella albofasciata Schultz & Marshall 1954


Other Names: Diagonal-lined Wrasse, Double-lined Wrasse, White Banded Possum Wrasse, White-banded Possum-wrasse, White-banded Possum Wrasse, Whitebanded Sharpnose Wrasse, White-barred Pigmy Wrasse

A Doubleline Wrasse, Wetmorella albofasciata, at Lomaiviti, Fiji, May 2017. Source: Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:
A small greyish to reddish-brown wrasse with narrow pale bands through the eye and on the body, a large reddish to black spot on the pelvic fin, and dark ocellated spots on the soft dorsal and anal fins, especially in juveniles.

This species resembles juvenile Redbreast Maori Wrasse, Cheilinus fasciatus, and slingjaw wrasses, Epibulus insidiator.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Wetmorella albofasciata in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1264

Doubleline Wrasse, Wetmorella albofasciata Schultz & Marshall 1954

More Info


Distribution

Offshore reefs of north Western Australia, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, and the northern Great Barrier Reef, and reefs in the Coral Sea; also Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the Ind-Pacific.

This secretive wrasse usually shelters in caves and crevices in lagoons, outer reefs and dropoffs, usually on deeper reefs.

Species Citation

Wetmorella albofasciata Schultz & Marshall 1954, Proc. U. S. Natl Mus. 103(3327): 446, pl. 12C. Type locality: Mabul Island, Philippines.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2019

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Doubleline Wrasse, Wetmorella albofasciata Schultz & Marshall 1954

References


Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

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

Allen, G.R. & Steene, R.C. 1979. The Fishes of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Aust. Natl. Parks Wldlf. Ser. Spec. Publ. 2. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service 81 pp. 15 pls. 

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.

Bertoncini, A. & Yeeting, B. 2010. Wetmorella albofasciata . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T187556A8567204. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187556A8567204.en. Downloaded on 16 December 2019.

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S.J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Checklist and new records of Christmas Island fishes: the influence of isolation, biogeography and habitat availability on species abundance and community composition. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 184–202

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp.

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

Kuiter, R.H. 2010. Labridae fishes: wrasses. Seaford, Victoria, Australia : Aquatic Photographics pp. 398. 

Moore, G. & Morrison, S. 2009. Fishes of three North West Shelf atolls off Western Australia: Mermaid (Rowley Shoals), Scott and Seringapatam Reefs. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 77: 221-255

Moore, G.I., Morrison, S.M., Hutchins, B.J., Allen, G.R. & Sampey, A. 2014. Kimberley marine biota. Historical data: fishes. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 84: 161-206

Randall, J.E. 1983. Revision of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Wetmorella. Copeia 1983(4): 875-883 figs 1-3 pl. 1

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp. 

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs. 

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E. & Kuiter, R.H. 2007. Wetmorella tanakai, a new wrasse (Perciformes: Labridae) from Indonesia and the Philippines. Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology 13: 1-25.

Schultz, L.P. & Marshall, N.B. 1954. A review of the labrid fish genus Wetmorella with descriptions of new forms from the tropical Indo-Pacific. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 103(3327): 439-447 figs 52-54 pl. 12 See ref at BHL

Westneat, M.W. 2001. Labridae. pp. 3381-3467 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37384173

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:8-42 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:6 cm TL

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map