Family Labridae

1
Family Labridae

• Wrasses
• Common species
• Tautog (Tautoga onitis)
• Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus)
• Pearly Razorfish (Hemipteronotus novacula)
• Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus)

Hogfish
Slippery Dick
2
Labrid Body Types

• The family is characterized by several body types
• All have unifying characteristics

3
Labrid Characteristics

• Labrids are brightly colored with diurnal feeding
  habits
• Have well-developed pharyngeal jaws
• Some spp. are cleaners removing ectoparasites

• Most spp. are protogynous hermaphrodites
• Swim using pectoral fins in a flapping jerky
  motion
• Labriform swimming

4
Cleaning Behavior
5
Cleaning Stations

• Numerous host spp. are serviced
• Parasites and necrotic tissue is removed

• Mutualistic relationships commonly found on coral
  reefs
• Territorial in nature, occupying well-defined
  coral heads and other prominent locales

6
Open up and say Ahhh...
7
Bluehead Wrasse

• One of the most common reef fish in the Western
  Atlantic
• A terminal male maintains a large harem for
  reproduction

Terminal Phase Male
8
Reproduction

• Have color patterns that change dramatically with
  age and sex, reflecting complicated mating
  systems
• Juvenile phase
• Initial phase young adults
• Terminal phase large dominant males
• Some populations are genetically fixed concerning
  sex others have mating controlled by a dominant
  male defending territories

9
Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus)

• Unlike most wrasses hogfish can become quite
  large (25 pounds)

10
Family Scaridae

• Parrotfishes
• Common species
• Blue Parrotfish (Scarus coeruleus)
• Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride)
• Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula)

11
Scaridae Characteristics

• Appear as heavy bodied wrasses
• Teeth are fused to the jaw resembling a
  parrot-like beak
• Rove the reef during the day (feeding) and hide
  in caves a crevices at night

12
Scarid Feeding

• Usually herbivores, feed (with fused jaws) on
  algae which occurs on dead corals
• Coral passes through the pharyngeal teeth
  creating sand as a waste product

13
I feel five pounds lighter!
Blue Parrotfish
14
A Mucus Negligee
Queen Parrotfish