Halichoeres

Checkerboard Wrasse ( Halichoeres hortulanus )

Halichoeres is a species-rich and very diverse genus of Junkerlippfische ( Julidinae ). There are about 70 species, of which 20 in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic, the rest are distributed in the tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific.

Features

Halichoeres species are 10 to 25 inches long. They have an elongated, laterally flattened body, which is covered with large cycloid scales. On the neck and chest are smaller, the head is scaleless, for the most part. In some species, small shed located on the gill covers. The mouth is terminal, acute and small, the teeth are conical and remove from front to back to size. Some species have enlarged canine teeth in the upper jaw, it may be that this is only for the males. The lateral line behind the dorsal fin makes a kink.

The colors of the Halichoeres types differ depending on the habitat. Types of flat zones have colors and drawings that they camouflage between algae live in deeper regions species are usually colored strong. The coloration of juveniles, females and males is usually different. Young fish often have multiple eyespots.

Way of life

Halichoeres species usually stay near coral reefs, always near sandy soils on. However, they also inhabit seagrass meadows, overgrown with sponges or algae rocky reefs, estuaries and harbors. They feed on small invertebrates such as crabs and worms. Larger species and small fish. The food is usually searched on the ground. Species that live in schools, but also rise far into the open water to feed on zooplankton. At night, the fish in the sand buried.

System

Halichoeres is (was ) the largest genus of wrasses. Already 150 years ago suggested the ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, divide them into different genera. The Australian underwater photographer and author Rudie Kuiter divided them into his monograph on Junkers and Zwerglippfische in subgenera, in his comprehensive " Atlas of Marine Fishes " he divides the genus to finally, without providing a description of the new genera.

In a phylogenetic study, the genus is divided into three major clades: the New World clade contains species from the western Atlantic and the eastern Pacific and corresponds Kuiters new genus Iridio, a small Indo-Pacific clade corresponds Kuiters new genus Hemitautoga and contains three large growing species. Iridio and Hemitautoga are sister groups and together the sister group of a clade from Coris, Hologymnosus and other genres. The remaining Halichoeres species to form a large Indo-Pacific clade, which also includes the genus Macropharyngodon.

• Large Indo-Pacific clade actual Halichoeres species, subgenus Halichoeres Pearl Junker ( Halichoeres bicolor) ( Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
• Hartz field Junker ( Halichoeres hartzfeldii ) ( Bleeker, 1852)
• Peliciers Junker ( Halichoeres pelicieri ) ( Randall & Smith, 1982)
• Sri Lanka - Junker ( Halichoeres zeylonicus ) ( Bennett, 1833)

• Halichoeres biocellatus ( Schultz, 1960)
• Lemon Junker ( Halichoeres chrysus ) ( Randall, 1981)
• Halichoeres cosmetus ( Randall & Smith, 1982)
• Yellow-headed wrasse ( Halichoeres iridis ) ( Randall & Smith, 1982)
• Canary Wrasse ( Halichoeres leucoxanthus ) ( Randall & Smith, 1982)
• Halichoeres melasmapomus ( Randall, 1981)
• Halichoeres orientalis ( Randall, 1999)
• Halichoeres ornatissimus ( Garrett, 1863)
• Pink Junker ( Halichoeres pallidus ) ( Kuiter & Randall, 1995)
• Pale Junker ( Halichoeres trispilus ) ( Randall & Smith, 1982)

• Halichoeres melanochir ( Fowler & Bean, 1928)
• Grey-headed wrasse ( Halichoeres prosopeion ) ( Bleeker, 1853)
• Halichoeres signifer ( Randall & Earle, 1994)
• Solor Wrasse ( Halichoeres solorensis ) ( Bleeker, 1853)
• Halichoeres tenuispinis ( Günther, 1862)

• Seagrass Junker ( Halichoeres argus ) ( Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
• Saowisata - Junker ( Halichoeres binotopsis ) ( Bleeker, 1849)
• Brownfields Junker ( Halichoeres brownfieldi ) ( Whitley, 1945)
• Green head wrasse ( Halichoeres chlorocephalus ) ( Kuiter & Randall, 1995)
• Rotnasen - Junker ( Halichoeres kallochroma ) ( Bleeker, 1853)
• Blue head wrasse ( Halichoeres leucurus ) ( Walbaum, 1792)
• Halichoeres marginatus ( Rüppell, 1835)
• Hoebens Junker ( Halichoeres melanurus ) ( Bleeker, 1851)
• White spot wrasse ( Halichoeres nigrescens ) ( Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
• Halichoeres papilionaceus ( Valenciennes, 1839)
• Richmond Junker ( Halichoeres rich mondi ) ( Fowler & Bean, 1928)
• Red- Junker ( Halichoeres rubricephalus ) ( Kuiter & Randall, 1995)
• Timor- Junker ( Halichoeres timorensis ) ( Bleeker, 1852)

• Green Junker ( Halichoeres chloropterus ) ( Bloch, 1791)
• White-throated wrasse ( Halichoeres podostigma ) ( Bleeker, 1854)

• Halichoeres margaritaceus ( Valenciennes, 1839)
• Halichoeres miniatus ( Valenciennes, 1839)
• Halichoeres nebulosus ( Valenciennes, 1839)

• Checkerboard Wrasse ( Halichoeres hortulanus ) ( Lacepede, 1801)
• Zigzag Junker ( Halichoeres scapularis ) ( Bennett, 1832)
• Three spot wrasse ( Halichoeres trimaculatus ) ( Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)

• Halichoeres adustus ( Gilbert, 1890)
• Halichoeres bathyphilus ( Beebe & Tee - Van, 1932)
• Halichoeres bivittatus ( Bloch, 1791)
• Halichoeres brasiliensis ( Bloch, 1791)
• Halichoeres caudalis ( Poey, 1860)
• Halichoeres chierchiae (Tue Caporiacco, 1948)
• Halichoeres cyanocephalus ( Bloch, 1791)
• Halichoeres dimidiatus ( Agassiz, 1831)
• Halichoeres dispilus ( Günther, 1864)
• Halichoeres discolor ( Bussing, 1983)
• Halichoeres garnoti ( Valenciennes, 1839)
• Halichoeres insularis ( Allen & Robertson, 1992)
• Halichoeres Malpelo ( Allen & Robertson, 1992)
• Halichoeres melanotis ( Gilbert, 1890)
• Halichoeres nicholsi ( Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
• Halichoeres notospilus ( Günther, 1864)
• Halichoeres penrosei ( Starks, 1913)
• Halichoeres pictus ( Poey, 1860)
• Halichoeres poeyi ( Steindachner, 1867)
• Halichoeres radiatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Halichoeres salmofasciatus ( Allen & Robertson, 2002)
• Halichoeres semicinctus ( Ayres, 1859)
• Halichoeres socialis ( Randall & Lobel, 2003)

• Halichoeres aestuaricola ( Bussing, 1972)
• Halichoeres bleekeri ( Steindachner & Döderlein, 1887)
• Halichoeres burekae (Weaver & Rocha, 2007)
• Halichoeres girardi ( Bleeker, 1859)
• Halichoeres lapillus (Smith, 1947)
• Halichoeres leptotaenia ( Randall & Earle, 1994)
• Halichoeres maculipinna ( Müller & Troschel, 1848), sister group to Thalassoma
• Halichoeres melas ( Randall & Earle, 1994)
• Halichoeres pardaleocephalus ( Bleeker, 1849)
• Halichoeres purpurescens ( Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
• Halichoeres raisneri ( Baldwin & McCosker, 2001)
• Halichoeres stigmaticus ( Randall & Smith, 1982)
• Halichoeres vrolikii ( Bleeker, 1855)