Description

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Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae: 25. Fresh male specimens reddish brown dorsally, reddish ventrally; head with green bands; upper opercle with a large blue-edged black spot, rimmed with blue and red; 3 succession of spots behind eye. Large females may be similar in color with males but with a black spot on branched caudal rays; smaller ones have 3 black spots on dorsal fin base. Anterior lateral line scales with 2-7 pores, more in larger adults; 9-13 suborbital pores. Pelvic fins reaching or nearly reaching anus in large adults.

Common Names

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Black-ear wrasse , English , Micronesia

Blackear wrasse , English , Global

Cheekspot wrasse , English , Australia

Cheekspot wrasse , English , Christmas I.

Earmuff wrasse , English , Australia

Ocellated wrasse , English , Australia

Ocellated wrasse , English , Solomon Is.

Koilauko , Gela , Solomon Is.

盖斑海猪鱼 , Mandarin Chinese , China

蓋斑海豬魚 , Mandarin Chinese , China

Sugale , Samoan , Samoa

Taxonomic Hierarchy

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Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Eupercaria/misc

Family: Labridae

Genus: Halichoeres

Species: Halichoeres melasmapomus Randall, 1981

Climate Zone

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Tropical

Location

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Biology

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Common around patches of rubble or mixed rubble and coral along steep drop-offs (Ref. 1602) at 10-56 m depth (Ref. 90102). Feeds on benthic invertebrates (Ref. 89972).

Habitat

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associated