Rainbow slender wrasse

Taxobox
name = Rainbow slender wrasse


image_caption = Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Labridae
genus = "Suezichthys"
species = "S. arquatus"
binomial = "Suezichthys arquatus"
binomial_authority = Russell, 1985

The rainbow slender wrasse, "Suezichthys arquatus", is a wrasse of the genus "Suezichthys", found in New Caledonia, New South Wales in Australia, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, the Kermadec Islands, and the north east coast of New Zealand, in reef areas at depths of between 5 and 100 m. Its length is between 10 and 18 cm.

The rainbow slender wrasse is a brightly coloured close relative of the crimson cleaner fish.

Young fish are mainly red-pink in colour with an orange tinge to the head and belly. There are scribbled markings of yellow-brown on the top of the head and lines of mauve spots set in ruby red horizontal stripes on the body. The fins are yellow with mauve spots and there are three prominent black spots, one at each end of the dorsal fin, and one on the upper caudal peduncle.

Adults are green on the back and blue-green on the belly with an orange tinge towards the tail, and have horizontal lines of violet spots along the body. There is a series of purple lines on the head, yellow patches on the gill covers, and the snout is lime green with a bright orange tip. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are largely red and there is a distinctive yellow patch on the upper caudal fin lobe, which also has extended upper rays in the case of males.

Unusually for wrasses, rainbow slender wrasses form pairs early on in life which are maintained throughout their lives.

References

*
*
* Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, "Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand", (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
* Wade Doak, "A Photographic Guide to Sea Fishes of New Zealand", (New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 2003) ISBN 1-877246-95-6