- Classification
- ACTINOPTERYGII
- PERCIFORMES
- LABRIDAE
- Choerodon
- albofasciatus
Whitestripe Tuskfish, Choerodon albofasciatus Gomon 2017
Other Names: Ira-modoki

An initial phase (female) Whitestripe Tuskfish, Choerodon albofasciatus, CSIRO H 7220-04, 136 mm SL, from Lombok, Tanjung Luar, Indonesia. Source: William T. White / Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Summary:
A reddish-orange tuskfish becoming paler below a pearly blue midlateral stripe from the upper jaw and running below the eye to the caudal-fin base. Terminal phase males are greenish with a second narrower stripe from behind the eye running along the lateral line to the top of the caudal peduncle.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2024, Choerodon albofasciatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Feb 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5480
Whitestripe Tuskfish, Choerodon albofasciatus Gomon 2017
More Info
Distribution |
North Western Australia, from off Shark Bay, northwards to off the Bonaparte Archipelago. Elsewhere the species occurs in Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan. |
Features |
Dorsal fin XI-XII, 8-9 (total 20); Anal fin III, 8-10 (rarely 8); Pectoral fin ii, 12-13 (rarely 12), dorsalmost ray short 7.2–13.1% pectoral fin length, ventralmost ray distinctly longer than those immediately above, posterior edge of fin falcate, dorsoposterior corner bluntly pointed, posteroventral corner sharply pointed; body shallow, 27.8– 32.5% SL, head depth 21.2–25.5% SL, caudal peduncle depth 10.8–11.6% SL; head blunt, dorsal profile of snout steep, snout length 9.9–13.1% SL; predorsal scales approximately 7, reaching forward on dorsal midline to or just in advance of posterior edge of preopercle; cheek with small partially embedded scales in about 4 or 5 diagonal rows, posteriormost with about 8–10 scales to upper extent of free preopercular edge, reaching forward almost to corner of upper lip crease above mouth, with very broad naked margin posteriorly and ventrally on preopercle; row of about 8–10 small scales on subopercle adjacent preopercular edge extending forward to about anterior end of ventral preopercular margin; each lateral line scale with unbranched laterosensory canal tube; cephalic sensory canal pores moderately numerous confined to lines or short branches associated with major canals; scales above lateral line about 2½ or 3; second pair of canines in lower jaw directed laterally, recurved posteriorly; dorsal and anal fins without basal sheath, additional small scale at top of some oblique rows; posterior lobe of dorsal and anal fins reaching well short of hypural crease; caudal fin truncate, with posterior margin slightly convex medially, upper and lower corners slightly pointed; pelvic fin reaching to anus, length 21.4–24.8% SL. |
Colour |
Red to green above, white below with with pearly blue midlateral stripe angled from underside of eye to base of caudal fin, stripe deflected downward to upper jaw below front of eye; terminal phase with second narrower stripe from back of eye along lateral line to top of caudal peduncle; scales posteroventrally with vertical pearly blue line. |
Remarks |
Choerodon albifasciatus is a replacement name for Choerodonoides japonicus Kamohara, 1958. As Choerodonoides japonicus is a junior secondary homonym of Labrus japonicus Valenciennes 1839, a replacement name was required. Parenti & Randall (2018) however, incorrectly considered that C. albofasciatus was an unneeded replacement name for C. japonicus. |
Etymology |
The specific name albofasciatus is from the Latin albo (= white) and fasciatus (= envelop with bands), in reference to the prominent white stripe on the side as part of the initial phase coloration of this species. |
Species Citation |
Choerodon albofasciatus Gomon 2017: Memoirs of Museum Victoria 76: 64, Fig. 33. Type locality: Mimase, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2024 |
Resources |
Whitestripe Tuskfish, Choerodon albofasciatus Gomon 2017
References
Gomon, M.F. 2017. A review of the tuskfishes, genus Choerodon (Labridae, Perciformes), with descriptions of three new species. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 76: 1-111. http://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.2017.76.01
Kamohara, T. 1958. A review of the labrid fishes found in the waters of Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Reports of the Usa Marine Biological Station 5(2): 1-20, Pls. 1-8. (described as Choerodonoides japonicus
Kuiter, R.H. 2010. Labridae fishes: wrasses. Seaford, Victoria, Australia : Aquatic Photographics 398 pp. (as Choerodon japonicus)
Parenti, P. & Randall, J.E. 2018. A checklist of wrasses (Labridae) and parrotfishes (Scaridae) of the world: 2017 update. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 30: 11-27 (as Choerodon japonicus - state that C. albofasciatus is an unneeded replacement name for Choerodonoides japonicus Kamohara 1958)
Puckridge, M., Last, P.R. & Andreakis, N. 2015. The role of peripheral endemism and habitat associations in the evolution of the Indo-West Pacific tuskfishes (Labridae: Choerodon). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 64–72. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.11.007 (as Choerodon cf margaritiferus)
White, W.T., Last, P.R., Dharmadi, F.R., Chodrijah, U., Prisantoso, B.I., Pogonoski, J.J., Puckridge, M. & Blaber, S.J.M. 2013. Market fishes of Indonesia (= Jenis-jenis ikan di Indonesia). Aciar Monograph No. 155. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research: Canberra. 438 pp (as Choerodon cf margaritiferus)