HomeMarine aquarium fishWrassesOriental maori wrasse Oriental maori wrasse (Oxycheilinus orientalis) Scientific name: Oxycheilinus orientalis G?nther, 1862 The Oriental maori wrasse (Oxycheilinus orientalis) is a marine fish of the family Labridae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea, Indonesia to Ryukyu Is., Marshall Is. BiologyDorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 23. Color of large adults red in life; body usually with 5 indistinct narrow pale bars that may contain white flecks, and 2 faint pale stripes along side; irregular bright red vertical lines on edges of scales anteriorly on midside and lower part of body, along with red dots; head with white to pale blue-green transverse lines on side of lower jaw, widest near front of chin; side of snout and head below eye with small dark-edged white to pale blue-green spots; iris orange-yellow with a blue ring, hind edge of eye black with a bright blue-green spot above (shows when eye directed forward); a blackish smudge on 2nd and 3rd lateral-line scales may be present (not related to sex); dorsal and anal fins light orange-red with oblique red lines and dark-edged white to blue lines or rows of dashes or small spots, the dorsal sometimes blackish on 1st membrane, rarely with a broaSource: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameOxycheilinus orientalisFamilyLabridae (Wrasses)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length20.0Depth range15–80 m (49–262 ft)EnvironmentMarine; reef-associated; depth range 15 - 80 mClimateTropicalDistributionIndo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Indonesia to Ryukyu Is., Marshall Is.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More wrassesRedbreasted wrasseCheilinus fasciatusFloral wrasseCheilinus chlorourusCelebes wrasseOxycheilinus celebicusHumphead wrasseCheilinus undulatusTwo-spot wrasseOxycheilinus bimaculatusRingtail maori wrasseOxycheilinus unifasciatusSee all wrasses SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026