Common Name: Luculent Wrasse

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Southwest Pacific region: Australia, including Lord Howe Island, Norfolk and Kermadec Islands, and North East New Zealand. In Australia recorded from northern New South Wales south to eastern Victoria.

Ecological Notes: Frequents coastal and offshore reef and islands. Depth 10 – 50 m.

Additional Notes: Variable colouration of males but all with distinct row of black and white blotches below the rear of the dorsal fin, juveniles typically pink or green with yellow anal fin and white stripe under the eye. Similar Gunthers Wrasse, Pseudolabrus guentheri, lacks the black and white blotches under the dorsal and juveniles lack the yellow anal fin. Benthic feeders on small crustaceans and other invertebrates. Adult male in top photograph, juvenile below. Grows to 25 cm. 

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.331.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Pseudolabrus+luculentus. Accessed 04/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Pseudolabrus-luculentus.html. Accessed 04/07/18.