Common Name: False-eyed Wrasse

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Western Pacific region: Philippines to Samoa, north to southern Japan south to Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef. In Australia recorded from northern Western Australia, Queensland south to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents seaward reefs, in areas of mixed reef, coral and sand patches. From shallows to about 35 m in tropical range, deeper in southern range.

Additional Notes: Orange stripes on face which fade toward rear of body. Juveniles markedly different with white stripes on tan or orange background, two ocelli on dorsal fin. Feeds on benthic invertebrates. Adult above, small juvenile 20 mm long in bottom photograph. Grows to 12 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.308.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Halichoeres+biocellatus. Accessed 30/05/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Halichoeres-biocellatus.html. Accessed 30/05/18.