Description

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 23. Color of large adults red in life; body usually with 5 indistinct narrow pale bars that may contain white flecks, and 2 faint pale stripes along side; irregular bright red vertical lines on edges of scales anteriorly on midside and lower part of body, along with red dots; head with white to pale blue-green transverse lines on side of lower jaw, widest near front of chin; side of snout and head below eye with small dark-edged white to pale blue-green spots; iris orange-yellow with a blue ring, hind edge of eye black with a bright blue-green spot above (shows when eye directed forward); a blackish smudge on 2nd and 3rd lateral-line scales may be present (not related to sex); dorsal and anal fins light orange-red with oblique red lines and dark-edged white to blue lines or rows of dashes or small spots, the dorsal sometimes blackish on 1st membrane, rarely with a broad dusky border; caudal fin red with small white spots, often with an irregular blotchy white bar near base; pectoral fins with dark-edged pale yellowish rays and clear membranes; pelvic fins translucent whitish, blotched with red and flecked with white. Color of small adults light red, finely flecked with pink dorsally and white ventrally, with an orange-yellow stripe from chin to eye and along side of body to midbase of caudal fin; stripe on body broadly bordered above and below with a broad whitish band; edges of scales along midside of body with vertical red lines; two small midlateral bright red spots, one below middle of soft portion of dorsal fin and the other on base of caudal fin (Ref. 47566).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Eupercaria/misc

Family: Labridae

Genus: Oxycheilinus

Species: Oxycheilinus orientalis (Günther, 1862)

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

Found in coastal to outer reef habitats; juveniles often in crinoids or soft corals at moderate depths (Ref. 48636). Probably occurring deeper than normal diving depths (Ref. 35918). Reported to be associated with the mushroom Heliofungia actiniformis (Ref. 91291). Occurs among dense cover of coral rubble or algae. Feeds mainly on fishes, shrimps and other crustaceans. Known in outer reef lagoons to deep slopes with other invertebrates (Ref. 9002). Females swim in small groups (Ref. 48636). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

Habitat

associated