Scott's Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus scottorum Randall & Pyle 1989

Other Names: Scott's Fairy-wrasse

A male Scott's Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus scottorum, at the Cod Hole near Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Source: Graham Edgar / Lizard Island Field Guide, lifg.australianmuseum.net.au. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:

A variably coloured fairy wrasse usually greenish above becoming pale pink to on the underside, fine black speckles on the head and anterior body, a yellow bar on the pectoral-fin base, a reddish to brownish patch on the midbody, and a greenish-yellow snout. Females are mostly reddish, with fine black speckles anteriorly.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2022, Cirrhilabrus scottorum in Fishes of Australia, accessed 18 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2276

Scott's Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus scottorum Randall & Pyle 1989

More Info

Distribution	Off Lizard Island, Queensland, and offshore reefs of the Coral Sea, and possibly also along the Great Barrier Reef and south as far as Saumarez Reefs. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, south-west Pacific, east to the Pitcairn Group. Prefers outer reefs habitats rather than sheltered lagoon reefs. Individuals usually occur in small groups feeding on zooplankton a short distance above the bottom.
Features	Dorsal fin XI,9; Anal fin III,9.
Etymology	The species is named in honour of Sir Peter and Lady Philippa Scott, for their “great contribution in nature conservation. Both have a keen interest in marine life of tropic seas, particularly of fishes. They organized the dive cruise to the Coral Sea and accompanied [the authors] to Osprey Reef where [they] collected and photographed this lovely fish. They marveled at the beauty of its color, and Sir Peter painted a portrait of it.”
Species Citation	Cirrhilabrus scottorum Randall & Pyle 1989, Revue Française d'Aquariologie et Herpétologie 15(4): 114, figs 1-5. Type locality: Outside barrier reef about 1/4 mile east of Teavaraa Pass, Papara, Tahiti, Society Islands, depth 12 m.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Scott's Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus scottorum Randall & Pyle 1989

References

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

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. (as Cirrhilabrus cf. scottorum)

Oxley, W.G., Ayling, A.M., Cheal, A.J. & Thompson, A.A. 2003. Marine surveys undertaken in the Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve, March-April 2003. Townsville : Australian Institute of Marine Science 59 pp.

Oxley, W.G., Emslie, M., Muir, P. & Thompson, A.A. 2004. Marine surveys undertaken in the Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve, March 2004. Townsville : Australian Institute of Marine Science i-vii, 1-67 pp.

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. & Pyle, R.M. 1989. Cirrhilabrus scottorum, a new labrid fish from the South Pacific Ocean. Revue Française d'Aquariologie et Herpétologie 15(4): 113-118

Rocha, L. & Yeeting, B. 2010. Cirrhilabrus scottorum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T187599A8577714. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187599A8577714.en. Accessed on 29 August 2022.

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.