Scientific Name
Halichoeres chrysus

Common Name
Canary wrasse

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12; Vertebrae: 25. In life, body bright yellow, head and thorax yellow-orange; a spot behind eye; head with irregular light-green bands. Dorsal fin of males with a large black, white-rimmed spot at the first interspinous membrane (another spot may appear on the soft portion between 2nd and 3rd rays for smaller males); females with a second black, light yellow-rimmed spot; smaller females and juveniles with a third blackish spot on penultimate membrane. Anterior lateral line scales with 2-4 pores; 6-12 suborbital pores. Pelvic fins not reaching anus.

Classification

Classified By

Randall, 1981

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Wrasses (Labridae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Indian Ocean

Distribution

Eastern Indian Ocean: Christmas Island. Western Pacific: Solomon Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Rowley Shoals and New South Wales (Australia). Recently reported from Tonga (Ref. 53797). Replaced by Halichoeres leucoxanthus in the Indian Ocean, but with overlapping distributions in Indonesia (Ref. 37816).

Range

32°N - 32°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

24 °C

Water Temperature To

27 °C

Depth From - meters

2 m

Depth To - meters

60 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 60 m (Ref. 9710), usually 15 - 60 m (Ref. 27115)

Trophic Level

3.37 s.e. 0.40 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

12.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (23 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)