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Cheilinus undulatus

(Double-headed maori wrasse)

Overview

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Endangered

Threat status

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Afrikaans:

Ramkop-lipvis

Common Names in Agutaynen:

Tarungan

Common Names in Austronesian:

Máám, Mamiliporos, Mem, Nippwáyik

Common Names in Austronesian (Other):

Máám, Mamiliporos, Mem, Nippwáyik

Common Names in Bikol:

Hipus, Maringyan

Common Names in Carolinian:

Máám, Mamiliporos, Mem, Nippw, Nippwáyik

Common Names in Cebuano:

Buntogon, Labayan

Common Names in Chavacano:

Mameng

Common Names in Danish:

Napoleonsfisk

Common Names in Davawenyo:

Ipus-ipus, Mul-mul

Common Names in English:

Blue-Tooth Groper, Double-headed maori wrasse, Double-Headed Parrot-Fish, Giant humphead wrasse, Giant maori wrasse, Giant wrasse, Humhead wrasse, Hump-Headed Maori Wrasse, Hump-Headed Wrasse, Humphead, Humphead Butterflyfish, Humphead maori wrasse, Humphead wrasse, Mam, Maori wrasse, Napoleon Fish, Napoleon Maori-Wrasse, Napoleon wrasse, Napoleonfish, tapiro, Truck wrasse, Undulate wrasse

Common Names in Fijian:

Draudrau, Maori wrasse, Varivoce

Common Names in French:

Kakatoi vareur, Napoleon

Common Names in Fwâi:

Th, Thânyima

Common Names in Fwâi:

Thânyima

Common Names in Gela:

Talia

Common Names in German:

Napo-Panzerwels, Riesenlippfisch

Common Names in Gilbertese:

Te karon

Common Names in Ilokano:

Balaki, Ipus-ipus, Verde verde

Common Names in Italian:

Becculongu

Common Names in Japanese:

Megane-mochino-uo

Common Names in Jawe:

Nami

Common Names in Kiribati:

Te karon

Common Names in Makassarese:

Kakatua

Common Names in Malay:

Angke, Batu, Bayan, Bayan-bayan, Bebarat, Bechak, Bechok, Ikan becok, Ikan Nepoleon, Kakatua, Kerrapu napoleon, Lingkar karang, Mameng, Mamin, Maming, Napoleon, Nuri, Nuri nuri, Tetarap

Common Names in Malayalam:

Chavarichoran, Thokka, ചവരി ച്ചോരന്, ചാവരിചൊരന്, തൊക്ക, തോക്ക

Common Names in Maldivian:

Maa hulhumbu landaa

Common Names in Mandarin Chinese:

Su Mei, 曲紋唇魚, 曲纹唇鱼, 波紋唇魚, 波纹唇鱼

Common Names in Mapun:

Tul-ungan

Common Names in Maranao/Samal/Tao Su:

Langkani, Mamin, Mammi, Mamming

Common Names in Maranao/Samal/Tao Sug:

Langkani, Mamin, Mammi, Mamming

Common Names in Misima-Paneati:

Gamategawaliya

Common Names in Nepalese:

Mara

Common Names in Nepali:

Mara

Common Names in Numee:

Jééwè

Common Names in Other:

Banog, Danlugan, Labayan, Lampalampa, Lubay-lubay, Molmol, Pilo-pilo, Pirat-pirat, Tausay, tupiro, Tupiro iva

Common Names in Palauan:

Mamel, Maml, Ngimer

Common Names in Portuguese:

Bodi, Bodião napoleão

Common Names in Rapa Nui:

Papae, Tamure

Common Names in Rapanui:

Papae, Tamure

Common Names in Samoan:

Lalafi, Malakea, Tagafa

Common Names in Somali:

Jalow

Common Names in Spanish:

Napole, Napoleón

Common Names in Swahili:

Pono-ngombe, Ponomchriwi

Common Names in Swedish:

Napoleonfisk

Common Names in Tagalog:

Bankilan, Bungat, Isdang bato, Labayan, Langkani, Mameng, Maming, Mammi, Mamming

Common Names in Tagbanwa Calamian:

Lupaen

Common Names in Tahitian:

Mara, Papae, Parahirahi

Common Names in Thai:

Pla Napoleon Tua-Poo, Pla Nok-Khun-Thong-Hao-Nok

Common Names in Tobian:

Mam

Common Names in Tongan:

Tangafa

Common Names in Tuamotuan:

Maraia, Tamure, tapiro, Tatika

Common Names in Tuvaluan:

Te tangafu

Common Names in Vietnamese:

Ca Mo Soc Gon Song

Common Names in Visayan:

Tamago

Common Names in Waray-waray:

Labayan, Lubayan

Description

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Physical Description

Size/Age/Growth

Males are commonly 60 cm (Total Length) in length when caught/marketed, but may be as large as 229 cm (Standard Length).

Habitat

Inhabits steep outer reef slopes , channel slopes , and lagoon reefs. Juveniles are encountered in coral-rich areas of lagoon reefs, where staghorn Acropora corals abound[1]; also in algae reefs or seagrasses[2]. Adults rove across the reefs by day and rest in reef caves and under coral ledges at night[3]. May be found at depths of 1 to 60 meters.

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -100 meters (0 to -328 feet).[4]

Biome: Marine .

Ecology: In one study, small post-settlement humphead wrasses were found in a species of seagrass (Enhalys acoroides), four species of hard coral (three Acropora spp. and Porites cylindricus), and in the soft coral Sarcophyton sp. (branching form; M .A. Tupper, pers. comm. ). After settlement , juveniles and adults live associated with reef or near-reef habitats of seagrass beds and mangrove areas, with juveniles typically inshore and the largest individuals found in deeper waters of outer reefs or lagoons (Myers 1999). Juveniles of 3–20 cm TL , and larger, occur in coral-rich areas of lagoon reefs, particularly among live thickets of staghorn, Acropora spp. corals , in seagrass beds, murky outer river areas with patch reefs , shallow sandy areas adjacent to coral reef lagoons, and mangrove and seagrass areas inshore (Randall 1955, Randallet al. 1978, Myers 1999, J.H. Choat, pers. comm. ). Recruitment patterns may vary considerably between years (M.A. Tupper, unpublished data ). Adults are more common offshore than inshore, their presumed preferred habitat being steep outer reef slopes , reef drop-offs, reef tops , channel slopes , reef passes, and lagoon reefs to at least 100 m. They are usually found in association with well-developed coral reefs (Vivien 1973, Randall et all. 1978, Winterbottom et al. 1989, Allen and Swainston 1992, Sluka 2000). Typically they are solitary or paired , but have also been noted in groups of 3–7 individuals (Donaldson 1995). They appear to be somewhat sedentary in that the same individuals, indentifiable by distinct natural markings, may be seen along the same stretch of reef for extended periods. Indeed, many commercial dive sites have their ‘resident’ Humphead Wrasse, a favoured species for divers . Natural densities are evidently never high, even in presumed preferred habitats. For example, in unfished or lightly fished areas, densities may range from two to rarely more than 10–20 individuals per 10,000 m² of suitable reef. In fished areas, however, densities are typically lower by tenfold or more, and in some places fish no longer appear to be present.

Accounts of reproductive activity in the field reveal that, depending on location, this species spawns between several and all months of the year, in small or large groupings, that spawning coincides with certain phases of the tidal cycle, and that groups of spawning fish can form daily, at a range of different reef types. Spawning areas and aggregated adults have been noted regularly along specific sections of reef, sometimes associated with no obvious topographical features, sometimes close to the shelf edge on outer reefs, or adjacent to exposed reef passes near fairly steep drop-offs , or on mid-shelf (unspecified) reefs (P.L. Colin, J.H. Choat, R. Hamilton, S. Oakley, pers. comms.). The species is evidently a daily spawner that probably does not migrate far to its spawning site(s), spawning for extended periods each year, i.e. , a ‘resident’ spawner (Domeier and Colin 1997, P.L. Colin, pers. comm.): groups of up to 150 fish were observed in Palau along the shelf edge in a loose aggregation.

Probable spawning aggregations have also been noted on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Fiji, New Caledonia, and in the Solomon Islands. Although spawning was not always observed, aggregated fish were ripe , or exhibiting behaviour likely associated with spawning. On the GBR, aggregations of up to 10 large males and 20–50 smaller fish (35–95 cm TL) were noted (J.H. Choat, pers. comm.). GBR aggregations from the Ribbon Reefs and north of Jewell Reef, once noted to include hundreds of fish, are no longer known at the same sites (Johannes and Squire 1988, L. Squire, pers. comm.).

The longevity of this species is up to at least 32 years, with females outliving the males (the oldest female recorded was 32 years), and sexual maturity is reached at about eight years of age (Choat in Pogonosky et al. 2002). Histological studies show that sexual maturation is reached at a size of between 40 cm and 60 cm total length (Sadovy, unpublished data). This species is thought to be a protogynous hermaphrodite, with sex reversal occurring at about 15 years of age (Choat in Pogonosky et al. 2002). At a total length of approximately 111 cm (Lau and Li 2000). Males grow very rapidly (Choat in Pogonosky et al. 2002).

It feeds on a variety of molluscs , fishes , sea urchins, crustaceans and other invertebrates (Randall et al. 1997).[5].

List of Habitats:

Biology

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Diet

Primary food are mollusks, fishes , sea urchins, crustaceans, and other invertebrates . One of the few predators of toxic animals such as sea hares, boxfishes and crown-of-thorns starfish [1].

Reproduction

The species is hermaphroditic , changing sex from female to male. The sex ratio of samples and fish observed in the field is female biased. Under IUCN criteria for mature individuals , there should be a correction made to factor in the sex bias which effectively reduces substantially the estimates of fish numbers included in this assessment .

Behavior

Usually solitary but may occur in pairs. Adults are known to occur largely on outer reef areas , often in association with channels and passes. Spawning aggregation sites have been reported from outer reef areas.

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Cheilinus undulatus Rueppell 1835 • Chelinus undulatus • Chelinus undulatus Rüppell, 1835

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

First described: Rüppell, E. Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehörig, entdeckt und beschrieben. Amphibien. S. Schmerber, Frankfurt a. M. , 1835.

Last scrutiny: Data last modified by FishBase 08-Feb-1997

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Cheilinus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 16 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. abudjubbe (Abudjubbes Splendor Wrasse) · C. arenatus (Speckled Maori Wrasse) · C. bimaculatus (Twospot Maori Wrasse) · C. chlorourus (Floral Wrasse) · C. chlorurus (White-Dotted Maori Wrasse) · C. fasciatus (Scarlet-Breasted Maori Wrasse) · C. hexataenia (Sixstripe Wrasse) · C. lunulatus (Broomtail Wrasse) · C. mentalis (Mental Wrasse) · C. nigropinnatus (Yellow-Banded Possum Wrasse) · C. orientalis (Oriental Maori Wrasse) · C. oxycephalus (Pointed Head Maori Wrasse) · C. oxyrhynchus (Eared Maori Wrasse) · C. trilobatus (Tripletail Wrasse) · C. undulatus (Double-Headed Maori Wrasse) · C. unifasciatus (Tail-Band Maori Wrasse)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Myers, R.F. (1991). Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. [back]
  2. Kuiter, R. H. and Tonozuka (2001). Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 2. Fusiliers - Dragonets, Caesionidar - Callionymidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 304-622 p. [back]
  3. Johannes, R.E. and M. Riepen (1995). Environmental, economic and social implications of the live reef fish trade in Asia and the Western Pacific. Report funded by The Nature Conservancy, the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency and Pew Scholarship in [back]
  4. Mean = 28.730 meters (94.259 feet), Standard Deviation = 44.850 based on 139,225 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
  5. Russell, B. 2004. Cheilinus undulatus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 31 January 2012. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-07-14