General Information

COMMON NAMES: Bluespotted Wrasse, Blue Chisel-tooth Wrasse, Bluespotted Tamarin, Speckled Wrasse; German Diamanten-Perljunker; French Labre Constellé (F), Labre Bleu (M) TRADITIONAL NAMES: Marari (RR MK AK TW), Arera (MG), Marari [ip] < Aupa [tp] (AT), Pātaitai (MT), Malali (TS PK?); Other Polynesian - Poou (TAH) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Easter I; n. to s.Japan; s. to Kermadecs COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group and N.Group. PLUS: Sexually dimorphic.; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope; surge zone, down to 20m SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Not good eating. KEY FEATURES: To 42cm SL; sexes distinctly different (=sexually dimorphic), and TP-males are sex-reversed females. Slender (depth 3x in SL), snout sharp with one pair of protruding teeth on both jaws, tail square to slightly rounded. IP-FEMALE brown with orange underside; head with blue lines; body with rows of small pale blue dark-edged; Dorsal, Anal and Tail with blue margin, otherwise brown to red with blue spots. TP-MALE dark blue-green; head with blue lines; body with fine pale blue bars on most scales, and w/wo pale green bar on upper midbody; Dorsal and Anal blue with 1-2 brown stripes, and Tail blue with brown streaks. SIMILAR SPECIES: Geographic Wrasse (Anampses geographicus) TP-MALE has Dorsal and Anal with brown margin and submarginal blue stripe (vs blue margin and submarginal brown stripe). IP-FEMALES distinctive.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
P	P	^P	^P		^P

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			P		P

Anampses caeruleopunctatus Rüppell, 1829
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; LABRIDAE, Julidini

GENERAL NOTE: Anampses have a scaleless head and a one pair of protruding broad front-teeth on each jaw. IP of juveniles and females, and TPMales are sex-reversed females.

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: field sighting male outer reef-slope Arorangi ID N.Sims (Sims88). Mangaia: Photos as 2 species (Clerk81), reID N.Sims as 1 species, Anampses caeruleopunctatus as female phase, Anampses diadematus as male phase (Sims88). Atiu: field-specimen+photo, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: field specimen, College MALE, Sonny's-photo, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM. Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004. Suwarrow: Photo male 4m depth outer reef-slope ID N.Sims, confirmed J.E.Randall (Sims88 & EIA99).

References:
text p.182 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 95a Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.295 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.426 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 96-08 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 70-01 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 791 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

• Google
• Google Images
• FishBase