Labridae
Sign in to saveThe wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine ray-finned fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into eight subfamilies.
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Wrasses are a large and diverse family of colorful fish that live in the ocean, containing over 600 different species. They are important members of marine ecosystems and are notable for their bright colors and the wide variety of forms they take across their many species and groups.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Labriformes
- Image
- Anampses cuvieri by NPS.jpg
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Article
15 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Taxonomy
- Genera
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Reproductive behavior
- Broodcare behavior of the tribe
- Sexual developmental systems
- Potential tool use
- Cleaner wrasse
- Significance to humans
- Parasites
- Gallery
- References
- External links
The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine ray-finned fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into eight subfamilies.
They are typically small, most of them less than long, although the largest, the humphead wrasse, can measure up to . They are efficient carnivores, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates. Many smaller wrasses follow the feeding trails of larger fish, picking up invertebrates disturbed by their passing. Juveniles of some representatives of the genera Bodianus, Epibulus, Cirrhilabrus, Oxycheilinus, and Paracheilinus hide among the tentacles of the free-living mushroom corals and Heliofungia actiniformis. ==Etymology== The word "wrasse" comes from the Cornish word , a lenited form of , meaning an old woman or hag, via Cornish dialect wrath. It is related to the Welsh and Breton . thumb|†Phyllopharyngodon longipinnis ([[Eocene)]]