Sandager's wrasse

Sandager's wrasse
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Labridae
Genus:	Coris
Species:	C. sandeyeri
Binomial name
Coris sandeyeri (Hector, 1884)

The sandager's wrasse, Coris sandeyeri, is a wrasse of the family Labridae, found along the east coast of Australia and around the North Island of New Zealand to depths of 60 metres, on mixed sandy/rocky reef areas. Its length is between 20 and 45 cm.

The sandager's wrasse is an elongate labrid with three completely different colour phases: juvenile, initial (female), and terminal (male). Juveniles are white with a bold yellow horizontal stripe down each side that ends in a distinct black spot on the caudal peduncle. Above this stripe there is often a paler stripe of orange-brown along the base of the dorsal fin. The intial phase is two dark brown splotches, one behind the head and another halfway back along the flanks, both on a pink background. Terminal males are brilliantly and distinctively coloured, with purple cheeks, a green chin strap, and a pale blue-grey forehead. There is a dark blue spot on the hind edge of the operculum and immediately behind the head is a series of contrasting vertical bars coloured respectively blue, black, yellow, white, black, white. The hind part of the body and the dorsal and anal fins are brown tinged with purple and the base of the pectoral fin is bright orange.

They feed mainly on small benthic invertebrates like ophiuroids, chitons, amphipods, and small gastropods. Adults feed by rummaging on the bottom while juveniles and sub-adults are cleaners and pick parasites from the bodies of other fish. They also feed on benthic organisms.

References

• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Coris sandeyeri". FishBase. May 2006 version.
• Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8