Epibulus insidiator, Sling-jaw wrasse : fisheries, aquarium

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Epibulus insidiator (Pallas, 1770)

Sling-jaw wrasse
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Epibulus insidiator   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Labridae (Wrasses) > Cheilininae
Etymology: Epibulus: Greek, epi = over, in front + Greek, boleo = to throw (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Pallas.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 128797). Tropical; 30°N - 30°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to South Africa (Ref. 35918) and the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 54.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9823)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9 - 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. The mouth of this species is protrusible and unfolds into a tube easily half the body length. The jaws swing forward into a long tube that strong suction to catch prey. When not in use, the entire apparatus is conveniently folded under the head. Small juveniles are brown with thin white bars and closely resemble a species of Wetmorella. Color varies with age and sex, but adult color varies additional, including with an all-yellow xanthic form. Sub adults and females are brown or, not uncommonly, uniformly yellow. Terminal males are dark with a white head and a dark streak extending horizontally through the eye. Male becomes ornamented with orange and yellow over the back. Juveniles dark with fine vertical white lines. Intermediates with yellow blotches, pale tail and sometimes with black pectoral fins (Ref. 48636).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 1602, 58302). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Generally solitary (Ref. 5213). Feed on small coral-dwelling crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 9710). Capable of drift migration along with floating leaves (Ref. 27153). Adults usually along deep slopes or drop-offs. Sometimes they visit cleaning stations holding their mouth open and out for inspection (Ref. 48636).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Males have been observed patrolling their mating territory (see Ref. 27152). Protogyny was proposed but not confirmed (Ref. 103751).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Westneat, Mark | Collaborators

Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p. (Ref. 2334)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 12 July 2008

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 4690)





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.7 - 29, mean 27.9 °C (based on 790 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.7500   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02239 (0.01234 - 0.04062), b=2.95 (2.79 - 3.11), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.0   ±0.66 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 36.4 [12.3, 145.1] mg/100g; Iron = 0.515 [0.197, 1.250] mg/100g; Protein = 18.4 [15.4, 20.7] %; Omega3 = 0.133 [0.067, 0.276] g/100g; Selenium = 32.4 [11.6, 84.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 65.8 [17.4, 310.7] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.95 [0.61, 3.51] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.