Choerodon schoenleinii

(Valenciennes, 1839)

Vernacular names

English : Blackspot tuskfish
French : Labre à point noir

Classification

Class : Teleostei
Order : Eupercaria i. s. (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Labridae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification

Maximum body length is up to 1 m for a weight of 15 kg. Round forehead, prominent teeth. Coloration beige to dark yellow with turquoise markings on head and flanks. Bright blue caudal fin. Black and white spot on upper back.

Range and habitat

Indian Ocean around Mauritius and from Ryukyu Islands to Australia and Indonesia. Lives in lagoons and seaward reefs, around flat sandy and weedy areas.

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : NEAR THREATENED
CITES : Not Listed
Status : This species’ wild populations are greatly declining because of pollution of waters, destruction of habitat and overfishing.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation