Oriental Maori Wrasse, Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther 1862)

Other Names: Oriental Wrassse, Thick-stripe Maori Wrasse

An Oriental Maori Wrasse, Oxycheilinus orientalis, at Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Source: John E. Randall / FishBase. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

A slender reddish maori wrasse with a broad reddish midlateral stripe, bordered by narrow pale stripes, from the snout to the tail base, a pair of small dark spots posteriorly within the stripe, a whitish lower head, reddish-brown rectangular patches along the back, and a narrow reddish stripe along the lower side. Oriental Maori Wrasse also have pale scale edges forming indistinct zigzag-like vertical bars along the body, white pelvic and anal fins with bright red markings, a dark blotch on the base of the dorsal-fin membrane between the first and second spines, and a darkish marking around the beginning of the lateral-line. Females are reddish-pink with about 5 whitish saddles along the back and often extending onto the lower sides as irregular bars, and a pair of distinct black spots (ocellated in juveniles) posteriorly on the midside.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2020, Oxycheilinus orientalis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4916

Oriental Maori Wrasse, Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther 1862)

More Info

Distribution	Northeast of the Monte Bello Islands and offshore reefs of northwestern Western Australia, reefs in the Timor Sea, and the far northern Great Barrier Reef, and reefs in the Coral Sea, to at least the Capricorn Bunker Group, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, east-Indo-west Pacific. Inhabits deeper sand/rubble areas on coastal and outer reefs, often in sheltered bays and lagoons. Females swim in small groups, while juveniles may shelter in crinoids or among soft corals at moderate depths.
Features	Dorsal fin IX,10; Anal fin III,8; Principal caudal-fin rays 13, the median 11 branched; Pectoral fin 12, uppermost 2 unbranched; Pelvic fin I,5; Lateral-line interrupted, pored scales 12-14 + 6-8 (+ 2 on caudal-fin base); Scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 1.5; Scales below lateral line to origin of anal fin 5; Circumpeduncular scales 12; Median predorsal scales 5, preceded by a pair of slightly smaller scales; Gill rakers 4-5 + 6-8; total gill rakers 10-13 (usually 11 or 12); Branchiostegal rays 5; Vertebrae 23. Greatest body depth 3.1-3.6 in SL.
Colour	Large adults are reddish with a black blotch on the basal half of the dorsal-fin membrane between the first and second spines, and a black blotch around the anterior portion of the lateral-line anterior series, 5 indistinct pale narrow white-flecked bars, 2 indistinct pale stripes along body, irregular bright red vertical lines on scale edges and red dots and anterior and lower part of body; whitish to pale blue-green lines on side of lower jaw, widest near front of chin; small dark-edged white to pale blue-green spots on side of snout and head below eye; iris yellowish-orange with a blue ring; anterior lateral line scales often with a blackish smudge; dorsal and anal fins pale reddish-orange with oblique red lines and dark-edged white to blue lines or rows of dashes or small spots, membrane of first dorsal fin sometimes blackish, rarely with a broad dusky border; caudal fin red with small white spots, often with an irregular blotchy white bar near base; pectoral fin-rays pale yellowish, fin membranes transparent; pelvic fins translucent whitish, with red blotches and white flecks. Small adults pale reddish with pink flecks above, white flecks below, a yellowish-orange stripe from chin to eye and mid-side to base of caudal fin, with a broad whitish band above and below; scale edges along mid-side with vertical red lines; two small bright red mid-lateral spots, a small bright red spot below middle of soft portion of dorsal fin, and a second caudal-fin base.
Feeding	Feeds mostly on fishes, shrimps and other crustaceans.
Biology	Protogynous hermaphrodites - changing sex from female to male during their life cycle.
Conservation	IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Least Concern
Remarks	This species is often misidentified, and is easily confused with Oxycheilinus digramma. The only record based on a preserved specimen in Australia, is from north of Hibernia Reef in the Timor Sea.
Etymology	The specific name orientalis is from Latin (= eastern).
Species Citation	Cheilinus orientalis Günther, 1862, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 4: 132. (a new name for Cheilinus coccineus, non Rüppell, Bleeker 1862). Type locality: Batjan, Indonesia.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2020
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Oriental Maori Wrasse, Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther 1862)

References

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. & Russell, B.C. 1986. Part VII Fishes. pp. 79-103 in Berry, P.F. (ed.) Faunal Surveys of the Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef and Seringapatam Reef, northwestern Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 25: 1-106 (as Cheilinus rhodochrous)

Bleeker, P. 1862. Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises, publié sous les auspices du Gouvernement colonial néerlandais. Tome 1. Scaroïdes et Labroïdes. Amsterdam : Frédéric Müller 168 pp. pls 1-48. (described as Cheilinus coccineus non Rüppell)

Fukui, Y., Muto, N. & Motomura, H. 2016. A new species of labrid fish Oxycheilinus samurai from the western Pacific Ocean. Ichthyological Research 64(2): 212-220 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-016-0561-4.

Günther, A. 1862. Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Acanthopterygii Pharyngognathi and Anacanthini in the collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum Vol. 4 534 pp. See ref at BHL

Kuiter, R.H. 2010. Labridae fishes: wrasses. Seaford, Victoria, Australia : Aquatic Photographics 398 pp. (as Cheilinus orientalis)

Liu, M. & To, A. 2010. Oxycheilinus orientalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T187423A8531626. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187423A8531626.en. Downloaded on 03 June 2020.

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. & Khalaf, M.A. 2003. Redescription of the labrid fish Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther), a senior synonym of O. rhodochrous (Günther), and the first record from the Red Sea. Zoological Studies 42(1): 135-139. See ref online

Russell, B.C., Larson, H.K., Hutchins, J.B. & Allen, G.R. 2005. Reef fishes of the Sahul Shelf. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory Supplement 1 2005: 83-105 (as Cheilinus orientalis)

Westneat, M.W. 1993. Phylogenetic relationships of the tribe Cheilinini (Labridae: Perciformes). Bulletin of Marine Science 52(1): 351-394

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.