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Bluebanded wrasse (Xiphocheilus typus) — Labridae

Bluebanded wrasse

Xiphocheilus typus
Family: Labridae
LC · Least Concern

The Bluebanded wrasse (Xiphocheilus typus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
12 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
15.0–85.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The blue-banded wrasse is a wrasse from the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean, including around the Indo-Australian Archipelago and the North West Shelf of Australia. The species grows to about 12 cm and has an elongate body with blue bands. It lives solitary or in small groups on flat sandy and rubble bottoms of reefs between 15 and 85 metres depth and hunts small benthic invertebrates. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bluebanded wrasse?

The Bluebanded wrasse has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly green and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Bluebanded wrasse live?

The Bluebanded wrasse lives in brackish water and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Bluebanded wrasse get?

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

Is the Bluebanded wrasse dangerous to humans?

No, the Bluebanded wrasse is harmless to humans.

Is the Bluebanded wrasse edible?

The Bluebanded wrasse is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwband-lipvis verified
English name
Bluebanded wrasse verified
Scientific name
Xiphocheilus typus
Family
Labridae
Other names
Blue-banded wrasse; Bluetooth tuskfish; Blue-toothed tuskfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green inferred
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Straight 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
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
15.0 verified
Max depth (m)
85.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

More from the family Labridae

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