Description

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 11. Adults developing a distinctive black blotch covering the rears of the dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 37816). Display a bright white band over the tail (Ref. 48636). White bar often present on caudal peduncle (this pattern very changeable). Red lines radiating posteriorly from eye continuous across opercle to posterior opercular edge. Membranes of spinous portion of dorsal fin smooth, not incised (Ref 9823).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Eupercaria/misc

Family: Labridae

Genus: Oxycheilinus

Species: Oxycheilinus unifasciatus (Streets, 1877)

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

Usually solitary in coral rich areas of clear lagoon and seaward reefs. Hovers well above the bottom (Ref. 9710, 48636). Young secretive in soft corals and hydrozoans (Ref. 48636). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds mainly on fishes, shrimps and other crustaceans (Ref. 9823). May be ciguatoxic (Ref. 37816). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

Habitat

associated