Coris cuvieri

Coris cuvieri, the African wrasse, African coris or false clowwrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the wrasse family Labridae which is found in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.

Coris cuvieri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Coris
Species:
C. cuvieri
Binomial name
Coris cuvieri
(Bennett, 1831)
Synonyms[2]

Description

Coris cuvieri grows to a maximum length of 38 centimetres (15 in) which is slightly longer than the related Coris gaimard. It has a dullish orange-brownish background colour with green markings which become more obvious as the fish matures. Adult males have yellow and blue markings on their heads face and also have a greenish-white vertical stripe in the middle of the body, the stripe being absent in the females. There is a green spot on each body scale which contrasts with the dark reddish body.[3] The juveniles, are similar to those of C. gaimard are bright orange-red in colour with 5 white patches with black edges along the back starting at the snout and ending on the caudal peduncle[4] but as the juveniles grow older the differences become apparent.[3]

Distribution

Coris cuvieri is found in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, from the southern Arabian Peninsula along the east African coast to South Africa at 30°S and east as far as Sumatra and Bali.[1]

Habitat and biology

Coris cuvieri occurs over the exposed outer reef flats and in reefs within lagoons the seaward edges of reefs. It can be found in areas where there is a substrate consisting of mixed sand, coral and rubble. The juvenile fish occur in small tidal pools and in exposed reef flats with algae covered rubble. It is generally a solitary species which feeds largey on prey with hard shells such as crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins. While foraging it turns over rocks, searching for hidden invertebrates. It is oviparous and when breeding the males and female form a pair.[2] A single dominant male will guard a harem of several smaller females.[1]

Human use

Coris cuvieri is used in the aquarium trade, although the similar Coris gaimard is preferred, the juveniles of the two species are very similar and can be confused.[1]

Species description and naming

This species was formally described in 1831 as Julis cuvieri by the naturalist Edward Turner Bennett with the type locality given as Mauritius.[5] The specific name honours the French naturalist Georges Cuvier (1790-1832), who described it under the name Julis aygula but which was determined by Bennett to be a separate species.[6]

References
  1. Craig, M.T. (2010). "Coris cuvieri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T187640A8587910. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187640A8587910.en. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "coris cuvieri" in FishBase. August 2019 version.
  3. Ohm Pavaphon (25 September 2015). "Coris cuvieri, an Indian Ocean variant of a very familiar aquarium wrasse". Reefbuilders Inc. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  4. Bray, D.J. (2017). "Coris gaimard". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  5. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Julis cuvieri". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  6. Bennett, E. T. (1831). "The exhibition of the collection of fishes formed at the Mauritius by Mr. Telfair, ... from among them ... the following species ... believed to have been previously undescribed". Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London. 1830–31 (part 1): 126–128.


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