Let Me ID Your Wrasse!

[Pat Clark]

My lovely 30 Dollar pick up today.

 

[saltyhog]

Nice naokoae!

 

[Pat Clark]

Nice naokoae!

Why thank you

 

[P-Dub]

OK, Got one for you. Collected this in the reef grass flats locally. It's juvenile and about 1.5 inches. Fast as all get out and not a fan of photos being taken. Supposed I should have had him sign a model release. Picks constantly at the rocks and is a ravenous feeder. Haven't a clue myself. Western Pacific.

 

[evolved]

OK, Got one for you. Collected this in the reef grass flats locally. It's juvenile and about 1.5 inches. Fast as all get out and not a fan of photos being taken. Supposed I should have had him sign a model release. Picks constantly at the rocks and is a ravenous feeder. Haven't a clue myself. Western Pacific.

Halichoeres margaritaceus

 

[P-Dub]

Halichoeres margaritaceus

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Thank you!

 

[ReefWithCare]

Two here - but I’m mostly curious why my larger one isn’t getting its male coloring yet

 

[eatbreakfast]

Two here - but I’m mostly curious why my larger one isn’t getting its male coloring yet

The small one is C. rubeus or joanallenae, can't tell without seeing the ventral fins, they are red in rubeus and black with joanallenae.

The other is H. melanurus. It is in it's transition, so it will develop it's male coloration.

 

[offtropic]

Juvenile H. Melanarus?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Juvenile H. Melanarus?

Most likely.

 

[evolved]

Juvenile H. Melanarus?

Probably. Better pictures?

 

[offtropic]

Maybe this.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Maybe this.

Either a juvenile H. melanurus or chrysotaenia.

 

[offtropic]

Thanks!

Either a juvenile H. melanurus or chrysotaenia.

 

[OrionN]

Either a juvenile H. melanurus or chrysotaenia.

Melanurus or Vrolikii.
According to fish-base H. melanurus is the same as H. chrysotaenia

 

[eatbreakfast]

Melanurus or Vrolikii.
According to fish-base H. melanurus is the same as H. chrysotaenia

Fishbase is wrong. The ranges for melanurus and chrysotaenia don't overlap. The type specimen for chrysotaenia is more senior than vroliki.

 

[OrionN]

They said that the current Scientific name for Vrolik wrasse is H. vroliki (Indian Ocean)which does not overlap in range with H. melanurus

 

[eatbreakfast]

They said that the current Scientific name for Vrolik wrasse is H. vroliki (Indian Ocean)which does not overlap in range with H. melanurus

Yes, but chrysotaenia is the older name, so therefore valid. Allen and Erdmann in their review of Indian Ocean species and Kuiter in his wrasse books consider chrysotaenia valid and vroliki a junior synonym.

I have emailed FishBase in the past about it and they responded back that they will get to changing it.

 

[nereefpat]

In short, H. vroliki is a synonym for H. chrysotaenia, and H. melanurus is a different (perhaps sister) species from a different region. Correct?

 

[evolved]

In short, H. vroliki is a synonym for H. chrysotaenia, and H. melanurus is a different (perhaps sister) species from a different region. Correct?

Yes, with chrysotaenia being the valid name since it is older.