Purple tuskfish (Choerodon cephalotes)
General data
- Main name: Purple tuskfish
- Local names: Grass tuskfish
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Asia, Australia & Oceania
- Distribution: East China Sea, South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean
Classification
- Genus: Choerodon - Tuskfishes
- Family: Labridae - Wrasses
- Order: Labriformes - Wrasses
- Class: Actinopteri - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
Indo-West Pacific: Indonesia to Queensland, Australia. Max length : 38 cm TL; max. published weight: 365 g A greenish-brown tuskfish becoming creamy-white below, blue-edged body scales on sides, some individuals with a with a dark patch on the upper side from behind the pectoral fin to upper part of the caudal peduncle, a 4-5 blue orange lines across the forehead, and many small orange spots on the cheek. Body scales edged with blue giving sides uneven banded appearance. No small prominent black spot on side. A horizontally elongate dusky blotch present below centre of fin in some specimens. Head with many small orange spots on cheek, forehead crossed by 4 or 5 sets of alternating blue and orange stripes.