Rock-mover Wrasse (species: Novaculichthys taeniourus) in Cook Islands (Gaia Guide)
Cook Islands > Animalia > Vertebrata > Actinopterygii > Perciformes > Novaculichthys taeniourus (gallery)
Novaculichthys taeniourus
Rock-mover Wrasse


©Brian Gratwicke: Rock-mover Wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus)

©Klaus Stiefel: Rock-mover Wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus)

©Klaus Stiefel: Rock-mover Wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus)

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Labridae
Genus Novaculichthys
Species Novaculichthys taeniourus

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Distinguishing features

Distinguishing features still need to be specified.

Size

  • Up to 27 cm (Length)

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Interesting facts

  • Many fish sleep in the sand at night to stay hidden. When there is not much sand, the Rockmover wrasse will actually build rubble mounds to hide in. The Juveniles will pretend to be a plant to escape danger and the adults work as a team; one removes the rubble, the other races in to grab the prey that was hiding under it.

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

It can be found in marine environments.

Web resources

References

  • Allen and M.V. Erdmann, G.R. (2012). Reef fishes of the East Indies. Volumes I-III in: Reef fishes of the East Indies. Tropical Reef Research, Perth, Australia. LIRS catalog number 90162.
  • Elliott, J.P. and D.R. Bellwood (2003). Alimentary tract morphology and diet in three coral reef fish families, Journal of Fish Biology, 63: 1598-1609. LIRS catalog number 876.
  • Ferry-Graham, L.A., P.C. Wainwright, M.W. Westneat and D.R. Bellwood (2002). Mechanisms of benthic prey capture in wrasses (Labridae), Marine Biology, 141: 819-830. LIRS catalog number 790.
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