Cigar wrasse

The cigar wrasse, Cheilio inermis, is a species of wrasse native to the Indo-Pacific. It is mainly found on tropical reefs at depths to 30 m (98 ft) in the Indo-Pacific region, Red Sea included.[3] They inhabit seagrass beds and algae-covered flats, occasionally in lagoon and seaward reefs to a depth of at least 30 m. They are a mostly solitary species. Their diet includes crustaceans, mollusks, sea urchins, and other hard-shelled prey.[4]

Cigar wrasse

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Cheilio
Species:
C. inermis
Binomial name
Cheilio inermis
(Forsskål, 1775)
Synonyms[2]
  • Labrus inermis Forsskål, 1775
  • Labrus hassek Lacépède, 1801
  • Cheilio auratus Lacépède, 1802
  • Cheilio fuscus Lacépède, 1802
  • Labrus fusiformis Rüppell, 1835
  • Cheilio cyanochloris Valenciennes, 1839
  • Cheilio forskalii Valenciennes, 1839
  • Cheilio hemichrysos Valenciennes, 1839
  • Cheilio viridis Valenciennes, 1839
  • Cheilio microstoma Valenciennes, 1839
  • Cheilio ramosus Jenyns, 1842
  • Cheilio bicolor Bianconi, 1857
  • Cheilio udanad Montrouzier, 1857

Description

A Cheilio inermis.

It grows to an average length of 35 cm (14 in) but can reach up to 50 cm (20 in).[5]

Young individuals are usually a mottled brown or green, sometimes with a broad lateral stripe. Rare individuals may be uniformly yellow. Large males may develop a bright yellow, orange, black, white, or multicolored patch on their sides behind their pectoral fins.[6]

Due to their adult size and diet, they are rarely kept in the aquarium.

References

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