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Cloud wrasse (Halichoeres nebulosus) — Labridae

Cloud wrasse

Halichoeres nebulosus
Family: Labridae
LC · Least Concern

The Cloud wrasse (Halichoeres nebulosus) is a saltwater fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
12 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–40.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific
Edibility
Not eaten

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Description

The nebulous wrasse is a small wrasse from the Indo-West Pacific, widespread in the tropical and subtropical Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It grows to about 12 cm and has a greenish mottled body; males bear a diagonal pink band below the eye and females a bright pink belly patch. It lives on reef flats, reef margins and rocky shores in weedy shallows to about 40 metres depth and feeds on small bottom animals. Like many wrasses the species is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Cloud wrasse?

The Cloud wrasse has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly green and shows a marbled pattern. Greenish marbled; protogynous hermaphrodite

Where does the Cloud wrasse live?

The Cloud wrasse lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Indo-West Pacific

How big does the Cloud wrasse get?

The Cloud wrasse grows to a maximum of about 12 cm.

Is the Cloud wrasse dangerous to humans?

No, the Cloud wrasse is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Cloud wrasse edible?

The Cloud wrasse is not usually eaten.

More photos

Cloud wrasse (Halichoeres nebulosus) — Labridae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — Izuzuki (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Cloud wrasse (Halichoeres nebulosus) — Labridae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Mark Rosenstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Cloud wrasse (Halichoeres nebulosus) — Labridae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Erik Schlögl, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Cloud wrasse (Halichoeres nebulosus) — Labridae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, some rights reserved (CC BY))
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All data

Identification

English name
Cloud wrasse verified
Scientific name
Halichoeres nebulosus
Family
Labridae
Other names
Clouded rainbow fish; Clouded rainbowfish; Clouded wrasse; Nebulous wrasse; Nebulosus wrasse; Picture wrasse verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green inferred
Pattern
Marbled sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thick / fleshy sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
40.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small benthic invertebrates and crustaceans inferred
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes sourced
Seasonality
Resident fish in vegetated shallows; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Greenish marbled; protogynous hermaphrodite sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Not a target species for angling; at most an incidental catch or usable as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Halichoeres

More from the family Labridae

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