COMMENTS
v. 16.0 – 11 Dec. 2025 view/download PDF
Family LABRIDAE Wrasses and Parrotfishes part 2)
Subfamily XYRICHTYINAE Razorfishes
Ammolabrus Randall & Carlson 1997 ammos, sand, referring to its preference for open, sandy substrates, which it dives into when threatened; Labrus, type genus of family
Ammolabrus dicrus Randall & Carlson 1997 forked, referring to forked caudal fin
Cheilio Lacepède 1802 from cheilos, lip, “the lips, and especially that of the lower jaw, very pendent [hanging down]” (translation)
Cheilio inermis (Forsskål 1775) unarmed, referring to lack of spiny rays in fins, a clear misnomer as all wrasses have spiny fins; since the name incorrectly described the fish, Valenciennes attempted to replace it with C. forskalii in 1839, noting that its first dorsal rays are shorter, more slender, and a little less flexible compared to other wrasses at Isle-de-France (Mauritius)
Cymolutes Günther 1861 etymology not explained, perhaps cymo-, of the waves and lutes, bather, possibly referring to what Günther assumed was its habitat (C. praetextatus, type species, usually occurs in sandy reef flats and shallow lagoons)
Cymolutes lecluse (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) in memory of naval surgeon M. (Monsieur) de Lécluse, presumably aboard ship from which type was collected; Quoy & Gaimard said he died of yellow fever [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Cymolutes praetextatus (Quoy & Gaimard 1834) fringed, referring to orange border on dorsal and anal fins
Cymolutes torquatus (Valenciennes 1840) adorned with a necklace (or collar), perhaps referring to diagonal black streak behind operculum and above base of pectoral fin
Iniistius Gill 1862 inion, back of head; istius, sail, referring to first dorsal fin on nape of I. pavo
Iniistius aneitensis (Günther 1862) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Aneiteum (Aneityum) Island, Vanuatu, southwestern Pacific, type locality (widely occurs elsewhere in Indo-West Pacific)
Iniistius auropunctatus Randall, Earle & Robertson 2002 aur[antium], orange; punctatus, spotted, referring to numerous tiny orange spots on both males and females
Iniistius bakunawa Sorgon, Tea, Meren & Nañola 2023 named for Bakunawa, a serpentine or draconic figure in Visayan mythology believed to be responsible for causing an eclipse by devouring the moon, referring to eclipse-like ocellus on posteriormost edge of dorsal fin
Iniistius baldwini (Jordan & Evermann 1903) in honor of Albertus Baldwin (1865-1935), employed by the U.S. Government’s Departments of Agriculture, Interior and Commerce to illustrate scientific reports, for his paintings of American and Hawaiian fishes
Iniistius bimaculatus (Rüppell 1829) bi-, two; maculatus, spotted, referring to dark-brown spot (slightly larger than eye) on middle sides of males (females unspotted)
Iniistius brevipinnis Randall 2013 brevis, short; pinnis, fin, having shorter fins (in general) compared to congeners
Iniistius celebicus (Bleeker 1856) –icus, belonging to: Makassar, Celebes (now Sulawesi), Indonesia, type locality (widely occurs elsewhere in western and central Pacific)
Iniistius cyanifrons (Valenciennes 1840) cyano-, blue; frons, front or forehead, described as having a blue band over entire edge of muzzle and forehead, up to the dorsal fin
Iniistius dea (Temminck & Schlegel 1845) Latin for goddess, allusion not explained; a name usually given to spectacular animals (e.g., color, size, beauty), so perhaps referring to its “beautiful shades” (translation) of color in life
Iniistius evides (Jordan & Richardson 1909) pretty, allusion not explained, perhaps reflecting the authors’ opinion of its appearance
Iniistius geisha (Araga & Yoshino 1986) geisha, a Japanese hostess trained to entertain men with conversation, dance and song, referring to this wrasse’s black-and-white coloration, reminiscent of an “elderly” geisha dressed in a traditional costume
Iniistius griffithsi Randall 2007 in honor of Jeremy Griffiths, one of two fishermen who captured type via handline; named at the request of Jeremy’s father, Owen Griffiths, Australian malacologist and conservationist, who noted that the wrasse was undescribed and arranged for a photograph to be taken and a second specimen to be collected
Iniistius jacksonensis (Ramsay 1881) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Manly Beach, Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, type locality; Ramsay believed it was the first Novacula (original genus, =Xyrichtys) recorded from Port Jackson
Iniistius melanopus (Bleeker 1857) melanos, black; opus, foot, referring to horizontally elongate black spot on posterior anal fin of males (although opus is usually homologous to the ventral or pelvic fin, Bleeker clearly used it for the anal fin for this species)
Iniistius naevus Allen & Erdmann 2012 blemish or birthmark, referring to dark-brown to blackish spot on upper body of both males and females
Iniistius opalus Fukui 2018 opal, referring to small milky white blotches on middle of body
Iniistius pavo (Valenciennes 1840) peacock, referring to small peacock-like ocellus, or eyespot, below forward portion of dorsal fin (name does not refer to two ocelli on dorsal fin of juveniles)
Iniistius pentadactylus (Linnaeus 1758) penta-, five; dactylus, fingered, allusion not explained, possibly referring to 4-6 (but often 5) red spots (black underwater) along lateral line behind head of terminal-phase males; the spots are not finger-shaped, but they appear as if the fish had been touched by five human fingers stained with paint or ink (the anterior spot, like a thumbprint is separate from the other four)
Iniistius rajagopalani (Venkataramanujam, Venkataramani & Ramanathan 1987) in honor of V. Rajagopalan, Central Marine Fisheries Institute (India), whose “dedicated and devoted service to the Institute in building [it] up as a centre of national importance will always be remembered”
Iniistius spilonotus (Bleeker 1857) spilos, spot; notos, back, presumably referring to one or two series of small brown spots between soft dorsal fin and lateral line
Iniistius trivittatus (Randall & Cornish 2000) tri-, three; vittatus, banded, referring to three blackish bars on upper half of body
Iniistius twistii (Bleeker 1856) in honor of Albertus Jacobus Duymaer van Twist (1809-1887), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, “in tribute to the support that civilization and science have been able to experience from him during his five-year rule [1851-1856] of the Dutch East Indies” (translation)
Iniistius umbrilatus (Jenkins 1901) etymology not explained, perhaps umbra, shade, or umbrinus, umber, and –atus, adjectival suffix, referring to “large dark-brown blotch, large as head, on middle portion of body”
Iniistius verrens (Jordan & Evermann 1902) trailing or sweeping, presumably referring to produced outer ray of ventral fins, reaching past front of anal fin
Novaculichthys Bleeker 1862 novacula, razor, but in this case probably referring to similarity with Novacula (=Xyrichthys), especially laterally compressed body, but lacking carinated ridge on anterior head; ichthys, fish
Novaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepède 1801) taenia, ribbon or band; oura, tailed, referring to white bar at caudal-fin base of adults
Novaculoides Randall & Earle 2004 –oides, having the form of: similar to and previously placed in Novaculichthys
Novaculoides macrolepidotus (Bloch 1791) macro-, large; lepidotus, scaled, allusion not explained; Bloch described the scales as “thin, smooth and rounded” (translation)
Novaculops Schultz 1960 ops, appearance, probably referring to similarity to and/or previous placement of type species, N. woodi, in Novaculichthys
Novaculops alvheimi Randall 2013 in honor of Oddgeir Alvheim (b. 1944), Institute of Marine Re-search (Bergen, Norway), who recognized the two type specimens from the trawl hauls of the research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen as a probable new species and took a color photograph of each
Novaculops compressus Fukui 2020 compressed, referring to body shape, moderately compressed posteriorly
Novaculops halsteadi (Randall & Lobel 2003) in honor of dive instructor and underwater photographer Robert “Bob” A. Halstead, who observed this wrasse in Papua New Guinea and suspected it was undescribed; he took the senior author to the locality and collected two specimens
Novaculops koteamea (Randall & Allen 2004) Rapanui (Easter Island) name for this species, from kotea, local name for three species of wrasses, and mea, red
Novaculops pastellus (Randall, Earle & Rocha 2008) pastel, referring to “soft and subdued” colors of holotype
Novaculops sciistius (Jordan & Thompson 1914) scio-, shadow; istius, sail, presumably referring to row of black spots on membranes of spinous dorsal fin
Novaculops woodi (Jenkins 1901) in honor of Thomas Denison Wood (1865-1951), professor of hygiene and physical training (i.e., health education) at Stanford University (California, USA), who obtained two specimens at Honolulu, Hawai‘i
Xyrichtys Cuvier 1814 xyron, razor, apparently named for X. novacula (=razor), referring to razor- or knife-like shape of body; ichthys, fish [Cuvier emended spelling to Xyrichthys (1829) but original spelling stands]
Xyrichtys blanchardi (Cadenat & Marchal 1963) in honor of H. Blanchard, captain of the research vessel Reine-Pokou from which type was collected, and “without whose skill the expedition could not have been carried out” (translation)
Xyrichtys incandescens Edwards & Lubbock 1981 glowing, referring to areas of bright-red coloration on terminal-phase individuals
Xyrichtys martinicensis Valenciennes 1840 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Martinique, French West Indies, type locality (occurs in western Atlantic from Bermuda to the southern Caribbean, including Gulf of Mexico)
Xyrichtys mundiceps Gill 1862 mundus, neat; ceps, head, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “laterally rhomboid” head, “the profile in front of the eyes descending downwards in a nearly straight and oblique line at an angle of about 43˚ to the longitudinal axis of the body, and nearly parallel with the preoperculum”
Xyrichtys novacula (Linnaeus 1758) Latin for razor, presumably referring to razor- or knife-like shape of dorsal fin and/or body, laterally compressed, deepest behind the occiput, thence tapering backward
Xyrichtys sanctaehelenae (Günther 1868) of Saint Helena Island, South Atlantic, type locality (also occurs at Ascension Islands, straying to São Tomé Island)
Xyrichtys splendens Castelnau 1855 beautiful, described as “jolie espèce,” a pretty species
Xyrichtys victori Wellington 1992 in honor of Benjamin C. Victor (b. 1957), ichthyologist, pathologist, medical laboratory director, and CEO of Ocean Science Foundation, for his Ph.D. work on the population biology and ecology of labrid fishes; he also discovered this species with Wellington in 1990
Xyrichtys wellingtoni Allen & Robertson 1995 in honor of marine biologist Gerard M. Wellington (d. 2014), University of Houston (Texas, USA), who assisted with the collection of the type specimens (he also described X. victori)
Subfamily PSEUDOLABRINAE Parrot Wrasses
Austrolabrus Steindachner 1884 austro-, south or Australia, proposed as a subgenus of Labrichthys occurring off Australia
Austrolabrus maculatus (Macleay 1881) spotted, referring to distinct black spot on each scale on operculum and upper part of body, spots becoming smaller below the middle and disappearing towards belly
Doratonotus Günther 1862 doratos, spear; notus, back, presumably referring to nine dorsal-fin spines, the first two spines “half as long as the head, whilst the following decrease in length to the ninth, which, again, is nearly as long as the second”
Doratonotus megalepis Günther 1862 mega-, large; lepis, scale, referring to body “covered with large scales”
Dotalabrus Whitley 1930 dota-, etymology not explained nor evident; Labrus, type genus of family
Dotalabrus alleni Russell 1988 in honor of Gerald R. Allen (b. 1942), Western Australia Museum (Perth), who collected type series and drew Russell’s attention to this species
Dotalabrus aurantiacus (Castelnau 1872) orange-colored, described as having a “beautiful orange colour” (presumably referring to males, which vary in color from reddish to yellow-brown, orange or greenish)
Eupetrichthys Ramsay & Ogilby 1888 eu-, well or very and petro, rock, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its large cycloid scales; ichthys, fish (Russell 1988 interprets name as “beautiful rock,” referring to its beautiful color pattern)
Eupetrichthys angustipes Ramsay & Ogilby 1888 angustus, narrow; pes, foot, referring to elongated ray of ventral fin, one of the characters used to distinguish the genus (Russell 1988 translates name as angustus, slender and stipes, trunk, referring to its elongate body, but we believe this is incorrect)
Malapterus Valenciennes 1839 malakos, soft; pterus, fin, presumably referring to three soft, flexible spines of dorsal fin, with membranous appendages at the tip of each ray [not to be confused with the electric catfish genus Malapterurus]
Malapterus reticulatus Valenciennes 1839 netted, referring to net-like appearance of scales lined with brown
Notolabrus Russell 1988 notos, south, referring to southern distribution (Indian Ocean and southwestern Pacific) of genus; Labrus, type genus of family but used here as a general suffix for wrasse
Notolabrus celidotus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) adjectival form of celidos, spot, stain or blemish, presumably referring (per the original Forster manuscript on which description is based) to any or all of the following: roundish black spot high on sides opposite anus, three brown-black streaks towards tail, 2-3 black spots on anal fin, and ill-defined spots on dorsal fin (Graham, in A Treasury of New Zealand Sea Fishes, 1956, 2nd ed., suggests name is derived from celidos, stain or spot, and otos, ear, referring to dark markings behind eyes, but these markings are not mentioned in description)
Notolabrus cinctus (Hutton 1877) belt or girdle, presumably referring to broad, black transverse bar on body behind tips of pectoral fins, passing on to dorsal fin between the 6th and 8th spines
Notolabrus fucicola (Richardson 1840) Fucus, genus of brown algae or seaweed; –icola, dweller or inhabitant, allusion not explained but probably referring to its occurrence over kelp beds on rocky reefs
Notolabrus gymnogenis (Günther 1862) gymnos, bare or naked; genys, cheek, referring to nearly scaleless cheeks, with only a single row of scales
Notolabrus inscriptus (Richardson 1848) written or inscribed, referring a “pale mark on each scale, bearing some resemblance to the characters of the Persian alphabet”
Notolabrus parilus (Richardson 1850) adjectival form of Paril, aboriginal name for this wrasse given by the natives of King George Sound, Western Australia, type locality
Notolabrus tetricus (Richardson 1840) grim; Richardson (1844) called it the “Grim Wrasse,” allusion not explained, possibly referring to its “short and rather bluff head” (“bluff” is an early 18th-century adjective meaning surly or abrupt in manner); Russell (1988) suggests that the name refers to the “rather forbidding appearance” of large terminal-phase individuals
Pictilabrus Gill 1891 pictilis, painted and Labrus, type genus of family but probably used here as a general term for wrasse; “If the meaning of the name Pictilabrus is demanded,” Gill wrote, “imagination may play that the painting of the brilliantly colored [P. laticlavius] has been completed and that the painter’s brushes and pencils have disappeared”
Pictilabrus brauni Hutchins & Morrison 1996 in honor of John Braun (Perth, Australia), who collected type (Braun, who ran a marine aquarium-fish business from his home, was Allen’s friend and dive buddy; he died “long before his time” after suffering a heart attack while playing racquetball [Gerald R. Allen, pers. comm.])
Pictilabrus laticlavius (Richardson 1840) lati-, etymology not explained, perhaps from latus, wide; clavius, a woven or embellished strip of cloth, referring to “ornamental blue studs [spots] on the fins resembling the clavi on the borders of the Roman patrician dress” (per Richardson [1844]), prompting Richardson to call this species the “Patrician Wrasse”
Pictilabrus viridis Russell 1988 green, referring to predominantly green body color
Pseudolabrus Bleeker 1862 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may resemble Labrus, and its type species, P. rubiginosus (=eoethinus), previously placed in it, such an appearance is false
Subgenus Pseudolabrus
Pseudolabrus biserialis (Klunzinger 1880) bi-, two; serialis, rowed, referring to two distinct rows of scales on cheeks
Pseudolabrus eoethinus (Richardson 1846) of the morning or dawn, described from a drawing showing an “aurora-red” body “passing into hyacinth-red on the back”
Pseudolabrus gayi (Valenciennes 1839) in honor of Claude (or Claudio) Gay (1800-1873), French botanist and illustrator, who collected type from the Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile
Pseudolabrus guentheri Bleeker 1862 in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914), who, at this time, was negotiating with Bleeker via correspondence the sale of parts of Bleeker’s massive collection of Indo-Pacific fishes to the British Museum
Pseudolabrus luculentus (Richardson 1848) full of light, allusion not explained but probably referring to “somewhat oblique descending silvery bar” which on scales below lateral line “shines through” the “integument beneath the scale” (Russell [1988] translates name as “splendid,” apparently referring to its bright colors, but Richardson’s specimen was faded after “several years of maceration in spirits”)
Pseudolabrus semifasciatus (Rendahl 1921) semi-, half; fasciatus, banded, referring to wedge-shaped bars on upper half of body
Pseudolabrus sieboldi Mabuchi & Nakabo 1997 in honor of Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866), German physician and traveler, the first to provide an illustration of a Japanese species of Pseudolabrus
Pseudolabrus torotai Russell & Randall 1981 native Rapan name for this species on Rapa Island in the South Pacific, where it is endemic
Subgenus Lunolabrus Whitley 1933 luno-, lunate, referring to “markedly lunate” caudal fin of P. miles; Labrus, type genus of family and original genus of P. miles, probably used here as a general suffix for wrasse
Pseudolabrus fuentesi (Regan 1913) in honor of botanist Maturana Francisco Fuentes (1876-1934), University of Chile, who made a collection of fishes from Easter Island in 1911, including type of this wrasse
Pseudolabrus miles (Schneider & Forster 1801) soldier, referring to scarlet body color, resembling the uniforms of 19th-century soldier-sailors
Pseudolabrus rubicundus (Macleay 1881) reddish, referring to yellowish-red color in spirits, with basal portion of all scales a “brilliant” pinkish red
Suezichthys Smith 1958 Suez, presumably referring to Gulf of Suez (Red Sea), type locality of S. caudavittatus; ichthys, fish [replacement name for Suezia Smith 1957, preoccupied by Suezia Gurney 1927 in Copepoda]
Suezichthys arquatus Russell 1985 Latin for rainbow, referring to its “beautiful, vivid, and many-hued coloration”
Suezichthys aylingi Russell 1985 in honor of Australian marine biologist Anthony M. Ayling (b. 1947), who first recognized this wrasse as a new species and collected most of the type specimens
Suezichthys bifurcatus Russell 1986 bi-, two; furcatus, pronged, referring to lateral-line scales with bifurcate laterosensory canal tube
Suezichthys caudavittatus (Steindachner 1898) cauda-, tail; vittatus, banded, referring to dark diagonal band on upper half of caudal fin
Suezichthys cyanolaemus Russell 1985 cyanos, blue; laimos, throat, referring to distinctive strap of blue color on throats of terminal-phase males
Suezichthys devisi (Whitley 1941) in honor of zoologist-clergyman Charles Walter De Vis (1829-1915), who “described many Queensland parrot fishes many years ago”
Suezichthys gracilis (Steindachner & Döderlein 1887) thin or slender, presumably referring to “very strongly compressed” (translation) head and body
Suezichthys notatus (Kamohara 1958) marked, presumably referring to large brownish blotch above posterior margin of eye and/or brownish blotch on base of membrane between first and second dorsal-fin spines
Suezichthys ornatus (Carmichael 1819) decorated, described as having azure stripes or bars on sides, head, and dorsal, anal and caudal fins
Suezichthys rosenblatti Russell & Westneat 2013 in honor of Richard H. Rosenblatt (1930-2014), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for contributions to Eastern Pacific ichthyology, and who drew the senior author’s attention to the existence of this species in the SIO collection
Suezichthys russelli Randall 1981 in honor of Barry C. Russell, then with the Australian Museum, for his research on labrid fishes and the assistance he has given Randall in the study of Suezichthys
Suezichthys soelae Russell 1985 of the Australian fisheries research vessel Soela, from which most of the type specimens were trawled
Subfamily JULIDINAE Julidine Wrasses
Anampses Quoy & Gaimard 1824 bending back, referring (per Valenciennes 1840) to upwardly pointed upper-jaw teeth and downwardly pointed lower-jaw teeth of A. cuvier
Subgenus Anampses
Anampses caeruleopunctatus Rüppell 1829 caeruleus, blue; punctatus, spotted, referring to “sky-blue spot bordered in black” (translation) on each scale (spots on females, blue vertical lines on males)
Anampses chrysocephalus Randall 1958 chrysos, gold; cephalus, head, referring to “brilliant” orange head of terminal-phase males
Anampses cuvier Quoy & Gaimard 1824 in honor of French naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), who proposed the genus and coined its name (but made available by Quoy & Gaimard) [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Anampses elegans Ogilby 1889 fine, select or elegant, allusion not explained but almost certainly referring to striking coloration of males, with a yellowish-orange mid-lateral stripe separating brownish color above and bluish color below, yellow spot on gill cover, yellow tail, and dark stripes through eyes
Anampses femininus Randall 1972 feminine, referring to its “unusual” sexual dichromaticism among fishes, the female being more attractively colored than the male
Anampses lennardi Scott 1959 in honor of Fynes Barrett-Lennard (1915-2008), an Australian landowner who collected many herpetological and ichthyological specimens for the Western Australia Museum; Scott thanked him for “valuable assistance” in collecting fishes, presumably including type of this one, and for sharing field notes and color photographs of these fishes shortly after their capture
Anampses lineatus Randall 1972 lined, proposed as a subspecies of A. melanurus with pale (in alcohol) or light blue-green (in life) longitudinal lines or rows of dashes following the scale rows
Anampses melanurus Bleeker 1857 melanos, black; oura, tailed, referring to black distal margin of caudal fin
Anampses meleagrides Valenciennes 1840 -[o]ides, having the form of: meleagris, guinea fowl, presumably referring to small, round, pale spot on each scale of body, like the color pattern of a guinea fowl
Anampses neoguinaicus Bleeker 1877 –icus, belonging to: New Guinea, type locality (occurs in eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans from Indonesia east to Palau and Fiji, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia and New Caledonia)
Anampses twistii Bleeker 1856 in honor of Albertus Jacobus Duymaer van Twist (1809-1887), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, “in tribute to the support that civilization and science have been able to experience from him during his five-year [1851-1856] rule” (per Bleeker’s description of Iniistius twistii, see below)
Subgenus Pseudanampses Bleeker 1862 pseudo-, false, proposed for non-typical Anampses on basis of scale size and teeth (now restricted to one species based on 48-50 lateral-line scales instead of 26-27)
Anampses geographicus Valenciennes 1840 geographic, referring to numerous reticulations on head, like the lines or markings on a geographic map
Coris Lacepède 1801 korys, helmet, referring to scaly plate that encompasses skull, eyes and jaws of all wrasses
Coris atlantica Günther 1862 –ica, belonging to: Atlantic Ocean, presumably referring to type locality off Sierra Leone (occurs in eastern Atlantic from Cape Verde Islands to Gabon)
Coris auricularis (Valenciennes 1839) pertaining to the ear, referring to dark-blue mark on rear of gill cover of large terminal-phase males
Coris aurilineata Randall & Kuiter 1982 aureus, gold; lineatus, lined, referring to golden-yellow lines in life, found in both juvenile and adult stages
Coris aygula Lacepède 1801 a word of uncertain provenance used by Lacepède and others to mean egret (the bird) and the French aigrette, ornamental headdresses usually made from feathers, presumably referring to elongated first dorsal-fin ray of terminal-phase males
Coris ballieui Vaillant & Sauvage 1875 in honor of Pierre Étienne Théodore Ballieu (1828-1885), French consul to the Sandwich Islands (Hawai‘i), who provided Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris) with many specimens from Hawai‘i, including type of this wrasse (see also Thalassoma ballieui, Labriformes part 2)
Coris batuensis (Bleeker 1856) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Batu Island, Indonesia, type locality (occurs in Indo-West Pacific from Maldives and Chagos Archipelago east to Marshall Islands, Fiji and Tonga, north to southern Japan, south to Western Australia)
Coris bulbifrons Randall & Kuiter 1982 bulbus, swelling; frons, forehead, referring to prominent convexity that develops on head anterodorsal to eye of adults of both sexes
Coris caudimacula (Quoy & Gaimard 1834) caudi-, tail; macula, spot, referring to large, diffuse and blackish spot usually present at caudal-fin base
Coris centralis Randall 1999 central, referring to its occurrence at the Line Islands in the central Pacific
Coris cuvieri (Bennett 1831) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), whose work on fishes culminated with his contributions to Histoire naturelle des poissons (1828-1831)
Coris debueni Randall 1999 in honor of Spanish ichthyologist and oceanographer Fernando de Buen y Lozano (1895-1962), who had intended to describe this wrasse
Coris dorsomacula Fowler 1908 dorsum, back; macula, spot, referring to black spot at base of posterior dorsal-fin rays of females
Coris flava Fricke & Durville 2021 Latin for yellow, referring to its characteristic yellow coloration of during both initial and terminal phases
Coris flavovittata (Bennett 1828) flavus, yellow; vittatus, banded, referring to 4-6 longitudinal yellowish-white stripes on sides of juveniles
Coris formosa (Bennett 1830) beautiful, “one of the most beautiful” fishes of Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Coris gaimard (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) patronym not identified but certainly in honor of Quoy’s fellow naturalist and collaborator Joseph Paul Gaimard (1796-1858), naval surgeon upon ship from which type was collected; although it may appear that Gaimard co-named a species after himself, his partner Quoy was probably solely responsible for the description, which appeared in a larger zoological survey under a shared byline [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Coris hewetti Randall 1999 in honor of Jeremy Hewett (no other information available), who collected type with a spear in 1957
Coris julis (Linnaeus 1758) from ilus, ancient name for a red labrid dating to at least Aristotle, perhaps from ion, violet
Coris latifasciata Randall 2013 latus, broad; fasciata, banded, referring to six dusky orange bars dorsally on body of adults
Coris marquesensis Randall 1999 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Marquesas Islands, where it is endemic
Coris melanura (Lowe 1839) melanos, black; oura, tail, referring to “deep blackness of the caudal fin and hinder part of the tail or body”
Coris musume (Jordan & Snyder 1904) from Musume-bera, its local name in Japan (per Jordan et al. 1913)
Coris nigrotaenia Mee & Hare 1995 nigro-, black; taenia, band, referring to vertically elongate black band below dorsal-fin base of both juveniles and adults
Coris pictoides Randall & Kuiter 1982 –oides, having the form of: referring to its “great similarity” in color to C. picta
Coris picta (Bloch & Schneider 1801) painted, described as having a cinnabar dorsal fin, a sky-blue back, and short transverse streaks on sides (the wavy or comb-like black stripe from snout through eye to caudal-fin base)
Coris roseoviridis Randall 1999 roseo-, rose red; viridis, green, referring to combined rose-red-and-green color of adult males in life
Coris sandeyeri (Hector 1884) in honor of Andreas Fleming Stewart Sandager, Assistant Lighthouse Keeper at Tiritiri Matangi Island (Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand) and amateur naturalist, who collected type [since Hector consistently misspelled Sandager’s name as “Sandeyer,” that spelling is retained]
Coris schroederii (Bleeker 1858) in honor of T. W. Schröder, Captain of the Infantry in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army and member of the Royal Naturalist Society, who provided holotype
Coris variegata (Rüppell 1835) variegated, referring to combination of colors and markings, described as having light brown-green back and bluish flesh-colored belly (the colors merging in middle of body), yellow horizontal lines on upper body, dark-brown scales scattered about, six stripes running down from dorsal fin, rhombic blue patch behind eye, three fine blue lines across preoperculum, crimson iris, purple stripes on dorsal and anal fins, flesh-colored pectoral fins with a dark-blue spot at base, and isabelline tail
Coris venusta Vaillant & Sauvage 1875 lovely or beautiful, allusion not explained but probably referring to male coloration, which is highly variable; type specimen is described as having 3-4 irregular longitudinal lines of vermilion red color on a greenish body
Diproctacanthus Bleeker 1862 di-, two; procto-, anus; acanthus, thorn or spine, referring to two anal-fin spines
Diproctacanthus alleni (Randall 1981) in honor of Gerald R. Allen (b. 1942), Western Australia Museum (Perth), who collected six of the 14 type specimens
Diproctacanthus australis (Randall 1981) southern, referring to southern location of islands where it has been taken, all lying between latitudes 9° and 23.5°S
Diproctacanthus manabei (Schmidt 1931) in honor of Mr. Manabe (forename not given), director of the Electrical Station of Naze, to whom Schmidt was “very much indebted for the success of [his] collecting work on the Amami-Oshima island” of Japan
Diproctacanthus micronesica (Randall 1981) –ica, belonging to: Micronesia, known only from the Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands, and Palau Islands, the major archipelagoes of Micronesia [also, description appeared in the journal Micronesica]
Diproctacanthus polynesica (Randall 1981) –ica, belonging to: Polynesia, referring to its known localities, all islands of Polynesia
Diproctacanthus xanthonota (Randall 1981) xanthus, yellow; nota, back, referring to yellow of upper back and dorsal fin of females, its most conspicuous color marking underwater
Diproctacanthus xanthurus (Bleeker 1856) xanthus, yellow; oura, tail, referring to yellow caudal fin of adults (black in juveniles)
Frontilabrus Randall & Condé 1989 frontis, forehead, referring to strongly arched dorsal profile of head; labrus, referring to the family Labridae
Frontilabrus caeruleus Randall & Condé 1989 blue, referring to overall blue coloration
Gomphosus Lacepède 1801 from gomphos, nail or pin, referring to protracted beak-like snout
Gomphosus caeruleus Lacepède 1801 blue, referring to blue (actually dark blue-green) body color of males
Gomphosus klunzingeri Klausewitz 1962 proposed as a subspecies of G. caeruleus in honor of German physician and zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834-1914), who collected type and reported it (in 1871) as G. caeruleus
Gomphosus varius Lacepède 1801 different or variable, referring to general color of males, described as a combination of red, yellow and blue
Halichoeres Rüppell 1835 halios, sea; choiros, hog, i.e., hog of the sea or hogfish, referring to elongated conical tooth at each corner of mouth, pointed outwards and forwards, and usually protruding beyond the flesh of lips, which reminded Rüppell of the canine teeth of a boar
Halichoeres adustus (Gilbert 1890) browned or scorched, presumably referring to “warm brown” color, “darker at the bases of the scales”
Halichoeres aestuaricola Bussing 1972 aestuarius, tidal estuary; –icola, dweller or inhabitant, referring to brackish-water habitat (estuaries, mangroves and tidal creeks)
Halichoeres annularis (Valenciennes 1839) Latin for having rings, presumably referring to semicircular bars (described as “anneaux concentriques”) on caudal fin of terminal-phase males
Halichoeres argus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) Argus, mythical hundred-eyed guardian of Io, whose eyes after death were transformed into the feathers of a peacock, referring to red spot, edged with blue and black, on each scale of terminal-phase males
Halichoeres bathyphilus (Beebe & Tee-Van 1932) bathy, deep; philos, fond of, referring to capture of type specimen at 155 m
Halichoeres bicolor (Bloch & Schneider 1801) bi-, two, described as having two colors, dark or dusky above, yellowish below (presumably an adult male)
Halichoeres binotopsis (Bleeker 1849) bi-, two; notos, back; opsis, eye, presumably referring to two black, red-edged eyespots (ocelli) on dorsal fin of females
Halichoeres biocellatus Schultz 1960 bi-, two; ocellatus, having eye-like spots, referring to pair of ocellate black spots on dorsal fin of juveniles and females
Halichoeres bivittatus (Bloch 1791) bi-, two; vittatus, striped, referring to two dark longitudinal stripes on sides
Halichoeres bleekeri (Steindachner & Döderlein 1887) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878), whose works are cited many times by Steindachner & Döderlein
Halichoeres brasiliensis (Bloch 1791) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Brazil, where it occurs along the Brazilian continental shelf
Halichoeres brownfieldi (Whitley 1945) in honor of Edward John Brownfield, Acting Chief Inspector of Fisheries and Game, Perth, Australia
Halichoeres burekae Weaver & Rocha 2007 in honor of Joyce Burek, who first photographed the terminal phase-male, and in appreciation of the “talents and generosity” of Joyce and Frank Burek for donating their underwater photographs to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf of Mexico) and their ongoing support of Sanctuary research and education (they brought this wrasse to the attention of researchers for identification) [although two people are honored, “burekae” is not emended to “burekorum” since it appears Joyce was the primary recipient of the dedication]
Halichoeres californicus (Günther 1861) Californian, referring to Monterey, California (USA), type locality [replacement name for Julis modestus Girard 1854, preoccupied by J. modestus Bleeker 1847]
Halichoeres caudalis (Poey 1860) of the tail, referring to caudal fin, rounded medially, concave toward its points, the upper lobe longer than lower
Halichoeres chierchiae Di Caporiacco 1948 in honor of Gaetano Chierchia (1850-1922), commander of the Italian naval corvette Vettor Pisani from which type (now lost) was collected [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from a masculine noun that ends in “a”]
Halichoeres chlorocephalus Kuiter & Randall 1995 chloros, green; cephalus, head, referring to bright-green head of males and anterior head of females
Halichoeres chloropterus (Bloch 1791) chloro-, green; pterus, fin, referring to green fins of males (which also have a green body)
Halichoeres chrysotaenia (Bleeker 1853) chrysos, gold; taenia, band, referring to orange stripes on head and body of females
Halichoeres chrysus Randall 1981 golden, referring to bright-yellow color of both males and females
Halichoeres claudia Randall & Rocha 2009 in honor of the junior author’s wife Claudia, also a marine biologist, for her “continued support and help with lab work” [a noun in apposition, without the genitive “ae”]
Halichoeres cosmetus Randall & Smith 1982 adorned, referring to its “brilliant and complex” colors
Halichoeres cyanocephalus (Bloch 1791) cyano-, blue; cephalus, head, described and illustrated as having a blue head; in actuality, head is yellow in adults with a blue stripe in center of snout of terminal-phase males
Halichoeres dimidiatus (Agassiz 1831) halved, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to upper half of body colored differently from the lower (this can be seen in plate that accompanied the description but is more evident in photos of terminal-phase males in which a bright-blue band separates yellow back and white belly)
Halichoeres discolor Bussing 1983 variegated or particolored, referring to mottled color pattern of juveniles, unlike striped color pattern of adults
Halichoeres dispilus (Günther 1864) di-, two; spilos, mark or spot, presumably referring to black spot on lateral line above pectoral fin and another on base of tail, described as “very distinct” on young specimens
Halichoeres dussumieri (Valenciennes 1839) in honor of Jean-Jacques Dussumier (1792–1883), French voyager and merchant, who provided holotype
Halichoeres erdmanni Randall & Allen 2010 in honor of “esteemed colleague” Mark V. Erdmann (b. 1968), marine biologist, who collected type
Halichoeres garnoti (Valenciennes 1839) in honor of Prosper Garnot (1794-1838), French naval surgeon, naturalist and collector, aboard La Coquille during its circumnavigation of the world (1822-1825); he provided type from Martinique Island, West Indies
Halichoeres gurrobyi Victor 2016 in honor of Chabiraj (Yam) Gurroby, for his 35 years of efforts in observing and collecting the fishes of Mauritius (including type of this wrasse); he operates Ornamental Marine World Ltd., a marine aquarium-fish exporter, with his children Mohesh and Meneeka Gurroby
Halichoeres hartzfeldii (Bleeker 1852) in honor of German physician Joseph Hartzfeld (1815-1885), Principal Medical Officer, Royal Dutch East Indies Army, who collected type, and whose collections, Bleeker said earlier in 1852, improved the scientific knowledge of Ambon Island’s fish fauna
Halichoeres hilomeni Randall & Allen 2010 in honor of Vincent V. Hilomen, University of the Philippines Los Baños, for his efforts in obtaining collection and export permits and arranging the shipment of type specimens to the authors
Halichoeres hortulanus (Lacepède 1801) belonging to a garden, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps referring to its multiple colorful spots and blotches, like a flower bed in bloom (but Lacepède did not mention colors or color pattern); one online reference (Mazza 2013, Monaco Nature Encyclopedia) claims the name means “gardener,” referring to its habit of turning up sand and coral fragments looking for food, but Lacepède did not mention this behavior
Halichoeres inornatus (Gilbert 1890) undecorated, described as having a “Nearly uniform olivaceous” body color in spirits, with “translucent, unmarked” fins (described from one preserved specimen; living individuals are salmon-pink to orange with bright-blue stripes on body and fins)
Halichoeres insularis Allen & Robertson 1992 of islands, described from Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Islands, in the eastern Pacific of México
Halichoeres iridis Randall & Smith 1982 of the rainbow, referring to the many colors that can be seen on a single individual
Halichoeres kallochroma (Bleeker 1853) kallos, beauty; chroma, color, a “pretty species very recognizable by its strongly expressed colors” (translation)
Halichoeres kneri Bleeker 1862 in honor of the “celebrated” (translated) Austrian ichthyologist Rudolph Kner (1810-1869)
Halichoeres lamarii (Valenciennes 1839) in honor of French explorer, naturalist and pharmacist Christophe-Augustin Lamare-Picquot (1785-1873), who provided type from Mauritius (Valenciennes spelled the name “Lamarre-Picquot” in the text)
Halichoeres lapillus Smith 1947 small stone or pebble, allusion not explained, perhaps in some way referring to “groups of blue-edged green diamond-shaped patches, each on one scale”; contemporary photos of females show white spots on body and dorsal fin, which could be said to resemble pebbles
Halichoeres leptotaenia Randall & Earle 1994 leptos, thin; taenia, band, referring to three narrow salmon-pink stripes on body
Halichoeres leucoxanthus Randall & Smith 1982 leucos, white; xanthus, yellow, referring to “striking” half-white (lower body) and half-yellow (upper body) coloration
Halichoeres leucurus (Walbaum 1792) leuco-, white; oura, tailed, described as having a white margin along caudal fin (contemporary photos show what could be described as a yellow margin)
Halichoeres maculipinna (Müller & Troschel 1848) macula, spot; pinna, fin, referring to black spot on dorsal fin, most prominent on terminal-phase males
Halichoeres malpelo Allen & Robertson 1992 named for Malpelo Island, eastern Pacific, west of Colombia, only known area of occurrence
Halichoeres margaritaceus (Valenciennes 1839) pearly, referring to pearly white blotches on lower sides of intermediate-phase females; Valenciennes also mentioned a pearly white line under the eye
Halichoeres marginatus Rüppell 1835 edged or bordered, allusion not explained, possibly referring to margins of dorsal, anal and caudal fins with a “double-colored hem, yellow-brown inside, sky-blue outside” (translation)
Halichoeres melanochir Fowler & Bean 1928 melanos, black; cheiros, hand, referring to large black spot covering pectoral-fin base
Halichoeres melanotis (Gilbert 1890) melanos, black; otis, ear, referring to jet-black spot on opercular flap
Halichoeres melanurus (Bleeker 1851) melano-, black; oura, tailed, referring to black caudal-fin tip of males
Halichoeres melas Randall & Earle 1994 black, referring to body color, “very unusual” for the genus; name is “doubly appropriate” because type locality, Sawda (Arabic for black) Island, Oman, is named for the dark color of much of the rock of this desert isle
Halichoeres melasmapomus Randall 1981 melasma, black spot; pomus, lid or covering, referring to large black spot on opercle, the most characteristic color marking at all color phases
Halichoeres miniatus (Valenciennes 1839) bright red or scarlet, probably referring to pink belly of females (which Valenciennes, working from a dried specimen, presumed was red in life)
Halichoeres nebulosus (Valenciennes 1839) cloudy, referring to several cloudy black spots from middle of body to caudal-fin base (presumably a female as males tend to lose these spots)
Halichoeres nicholsi (Jordan & Gilbert 1882) in honor of Capt. Henry E. Nichols (d. 1899), U.S. Navy, commander of the U.S. Coast and Geogetic Survey steamer Hassler, who “took much pains to make collections of fishes whenever they were obtainable,” including type of this wrasse
Halichoeres nigrescens (Bloch & Schneider 1801) blackish, described as having a blackish body speckled with yellow spots (actual life colors: males are pale green above with reddish-brown bars on sides, females are greenish brown above with small pale spots along middle of sides)
Halichoeres notospilus (Günther 1864) notos, back; spilos, mark or spot, presumably referring to 4-5 “indistinct broad brown cross bars” on back, with a series of corresponding blotches on the dorsal fin
Halichoeres orientalis Randall 1999 eastern, referring to its occurrence in southern Japan and Taiwan
Halichoeres ornatissimus (Garrett 1863) very ornate or decorated, referring to its coloration, with green scales margined with vermillion red, and emerald-green head “ornamented” with vermillion-red stripes, themselves margined with “brilliant” blue
Halichoeres pallidus Kuiter & Randall 1995 pale, referring to near-white appearance under available light at the depth (37-64 m) at which it occurs
Halichoeres papilionaceus (Valenciennes 1839) butterfly-like, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to ocellus or eyespot on dorsal fin of females
Halichoeres pardaleocephalus (Bleeker 1849) etymology not explained, presumably pardalis, leopard (i.e., with leopard-like spots) and cephalus, head, described as having several blue spots on head
Halichoeres pelicieri Randall & Smith 1982 in honor of Daniel Pelicier (1946-2018), aquarium fish collector and exporter in Flic en Flac (a village in Mauritius), who obtained all but one of the type specimens and provided photographs of holotype and male phase
Halichoeres penrosei Starks 1913 in honor of Richard Alexander Fullerton Penrose, Jr. (1863-1931), American mining geologist and entrepreneur, for his “interest” in the Stanford University expedition to Brazil, during which type was collected
Halichoeres pictus (Poey 1860) painted, referring to its varied combination of colors (learning it the vernacular name Rainbow Wrasse)
Halichoeres podostigma (Bleeker 1854) podos, foot; stigma, mark or spot, referring to black spot in middle of ventral fin of juveniles
Halichoeres poeyi (Steindachner 1867) in honor of Cuban ichthyologist Felipe Poey (1799-1891), who described the similar H. pictus in 1860
Halichoeres prosopeion (Bleeker 1853) mask, allusion not explained, but described as having three purple bands over the head (modern accounts indicate adults have a purplish head)
Halichoeres radiatus (Linnaeus 1758) beaming or shining, presumably referring to blue-gray-to-blue lines radiating from eyes of adults
Halichoeres richmondi Fowler & Bean 1928 in honor of ornithologist Charles W. Richmond (1868-1932), U.S. National Museum
Halichoeres rubricephalus Kuiter & Randall 1995 ruber, red; cephalus, head, referring to bright-red head of males
Halichoeres rubrovirens Rocha, Pinheiro & Gasparini 2010 ruber, red; virens, green, referring to distinctive red-and-green color pattern of adults
Halichoeres salmofasciatus Allen & Robertson 2002 salmo-, salmon; fasciatus, banded, referring to salmon-red stripes on initial-phase adults
Halichoeres sanchezi Victor, Frable & Ludt 2024 in honor of Carlos Armando Sanchez Ortiz, Programa de Investigacion para la Conservacion de la Fauna Arrecifal (PFA), Biologia Marina, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, for his contributions to the study of the marine communities of Pacific Mexico, and who organized the 2022 expedition during which this species was first collected
Halichoeres sazimai Luiz, Ferreira & Rocha 2009 in honor of Ivan Sazima, Museu de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil), for his contributions to the advancement of the natural history and taxonomy of Brazilian reef fishes, and for his “exemplary guidance, which influenced a generation of Brazilian ichthyologists”
Halichoeres scapularis (Bennett 1832) of the shoulder, described as having a “wide humeral band” (translation), perhaps referring to beginning of dark-brown zigzag stripe from eye to caudal-fin base on sides of adults
Halichoeres semicinctus (Ayres 1859) semi-, half; cinctus, belted, referring to prominent pale-edged black bar on lower two-thirds of side, a short distance behind base of pectoral fin, on terminal-phase males
Halichoeres signifer Randall & Earle 1994 signum, flag or sign; fero, to bear, referring to blue-edged black spot at front of dorsal fin of males during courtship; when the male elevates its dorsal fin, the spot is very conspicuous
Halichoeres socialis Randall & Lobel 2003 social (i.e., seeking companionship), referring to how it forms true schools (as distinct from a loose aggregation) when stressed, possibly the only labrid to form such compact schools
Halichoeres solorensis (Bleeker 1853) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lawajong, Solor Island, Indonesia, type locality (occurs in western Pacific from eastern Indonesia, east to the Philippines and New Guinea)
Halichoeres stigmaticus Randall & Smith 1982 marked, referring to prominent blackish U-shaped mark between lateral line and pectoral-fin tips of terminal-phase males
Halichoeres tenuispinis (Günther 1862) tenuis, thin; spinis, spine, referring to slender and flexible dorsal-fin spines, as long as the rays
Halichoeres timorensis (Bleeker 1852) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Timor Island, southern Malay Archipelago, type locality (occurs in Indo-West Pacific from Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, east to Indonesia and New Guinea)
Halichoeres trimaculatus (Quoy & Gaimard 1834) tri-, three; maculatus, spotted, referring to three large black spots along lateral line of terminal-phase males (initial-phase adults have only two)
Halichoeres trispilus Randall & Smith 1982 tri-, three; spilos, mark or spot, referring to series of three black spots that appear at three different locations: along back, on dorsal fin (though posterior two disappear in large males), and upper base of caudal fin
Halichoeres vrolikii (Bleeker 1855) in honor of Dutch anatomist-pathologist Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), whose “excellent comparative anatomical works are world famous” (translation)
Halichoeres zeylonicus (Bennett 1833) –icus, belonging to: Zeilan (i.e., Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka), type locality (widely occurs in Red Sea and Indian Ocean from east Africa, Persian Gulf and Madagascar east to western Indonesia)
Halichoeres zulu Randall & King 2010 named for the indigenous people of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, type locality
Hemigymnus Günther 1861 hemi-, partial; gymnos, bare or naked, referring to a “strip of very small scales” on cheek of H. fasciatus and H. melapterus
Hemigymnus fasciatus (Bloch 1792) banded, referring to four white bars on bodies of both males and females
Hemigymnus melapterus (Bloch 1791) mela-, black; pterus, fin, described and illustrated as having black or black-edged fins (although modern-day accounts and photographs do not describe and show black fins)
Hemigymnus sexfasciatus (Rüppell 1835) sex, six; fasciatus, banded, referring to five wide bands on body and one on caudal peduncle, black on females, dark-green on males (these bands are actually the fish’s base color, divided by bands of white)
Hologymnosus Lacepède 1801 holos, whole or entire; gymnosus, bare or naked, described as lacking “any easily visible scales”; in actuality, its scales are small but its head is scaleless
Hologymnosus annulatus (Lacepède 1801) ringed, referring to ~19 narrow transverse bands on sides of adults, which appear to encircle the body and meet the bands on the opposite side (they do not)
Hologymnosus doliatus (Lacepède 1801) barred, referring to ~23 narrow transverse bands on sides of adults
Hologymnosus longipes (Günther 1862) longus, long; pes, foot, referring to prolonged outer rays of ventral fin, as long as pectoral fin
Hologymnosus rhodonotus Randall & Yamakawa 1988 rhodon, rose red; notos, back, referring to coloration on neck of both initial and terminal phases
Labrichthys Bleeker 1854 Labrus, similar to and/or closely related to both Labrus and Labroides; ichthys, fish
Labrichthys unilineatus (Guichenot 1847) uni-, one; lineatus, lined, referring to single mid-lateral white stripe on juveniles
Labroides Bleeker 1851 –oides, having the form of: Labrus, but with a pair of curved, erect fangs in each jaw
Labroides bicolor Fowler & Bean 1928 bi-, two, i.e., two-colored, referring to its “greatly contrasted” color pattern of males, anterior half “vandyke-brown” (blue-black in life) and posterior half “rather abruptly white” (pale yellow in life)
Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes 1839) halved or divided in two, referring to broad, black longitudinal stripe dividing body color into two separate sections
Labroides pectoralis Randall & Springer 1975 pectoral, referring to large black spot below pectoral-fin base
Labroides phthirophagus Randall 1958 phtheiros, louse; phagous, eat, referring to its habit of feeding on external parasites of fishes
Labroides rubrolabiatus Randall 1958 ruber, red; labiatus, lipped, referring to color of lips in life
Larabicus Randall & Springer 1973 an “arbitrary combination of letters,” possibly a combination of La-, from Labrus (original genus), and arabicus, referring to occurrence of L. quadrilineatus in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Persian Gulf
Larabicus quadrilineatus (Rüppell 1835) quadri-, four; lineatus, referring to four blue stripes (two on each side of body) on juveniles and females
Leptojulis Bleeker 1862 leptos, thin, presumably referring to more slender body compared to many other labrids; julis, from ilus, ancient name for a red labrid dating to at least Aristotle (perhaps from ion, violet), sometimes used as a general suffix for wrasses
Subgenus Leptojulis
Leptojulis chrysotaenia Randall & Ferraris 1981 chrysos, gold; taenia, ribbon, referring to broad, midlateral, ribbon-like orange-yellow stripe on sides
Leptojulis cyanopleura (Bleeker 1853) cyano-, blue; pleura, sided, presumably referring to two blue-edged stripes flanking an orange-yellow stripe passing from front of snout to caudal peduncle on terminal-phase males
Leptojulis lambdastigma Randall & Ferraris 1981 lambda, 11th letter of Greek alphabet; stigma, mark, referring to conspicuous Λ-shaped mark on nape
Leptojulis urostigma Randall 1996 [o]uro, tail; stigma, mark, referring to large black spot on base of caudal fin, its most distinctive feature
Subgenus Neojulis Randall 1996 neo-, new, i.e., a new subgenus; julis, from ilus, ancient name for a red labrid dating to at least Aristotle (perhaps from ion, violet), sometimes used as a general suffix for wrasses but probably used here as an abridgement of Leptojulis, or to convey Randall’s initial belief that L. polylepis represented a new genus
Leptojulis polylepis Randall 1996 poly, many; lepis, scale, referring to 46 lateral-line scales, compared to 27 in the nominate subgenus
Macropharyngodon Bleeker 1862 macro-, large; pharynx, throat; odon, tooth, referring to posterior canine teeth on upper jaw
Macropharyngodon bipartitus Smith 1957 consisting of two parts, presumably referring to color pattern, with curved bands over front part of body and irregular dark blotches over posterior half
Macropharyngodon choati Randall 1978 in honor of marine biologist J. Howard Choat, James Cook University (Queensland, Australia), for his studies of labrid fishes; when Choat collected the paratype in 1967, he suspected it was an undescribed species
Macropharyngodon cyanoguttatus Randall 1978 cyano-, blue; guttatus, spotted, referring to bright-blue spots on both sexes
Macropharyngodon geoffroy (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) in honor of French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772-1844) [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Macropharyngodon kuiteri Randall 1978 in honor of Australian underwater photographer Rudolf “Rudie” Kuiter (b. 1943), who raised type specimen from juvenile to adult in his home aquarium
Macropharyngodon marisrubri Randall 1978 maris, sea; rubrus, red, referring to the Red Sea, where it is endemic
Macropharyngodon meleagris (Valenciennes 1839) guinea fowl, probably referring to small blue-green spots on body of males, which can be said to resemble the color pattern of a guinea fowl
Macropharyngodon moyeri Shepard & Meyer 1978 in honor of marine biologist Jack T. Moyer (1929-2004), director of the Tatsuo Tanaka Memorial Biological Station at Miyake-jima, Japan, who offered “extensive support” to the authors during their research there [biographical footnote: Moyer committed suicide; in 2014, The American School in Japan, where Moyer had taught, admitted that as many as 32 girls had been sexually abused by Moyer, starting as early as 1964, abuse that had been covered up by faculty and administration]
Macropharyngodon negrosensis Herre 1932 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Oriental Negros, Philippines, type locality (occurs in eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific from Andaman Sea, Christmas Island and Indonesia east to Marshall Islands and Samoa, north to Ryukyu Islands and Ogasawara Islands, south to northern Australia)
Macropharyngodon ornatus Randall 1978 decorated, referring to “striking” color pattern (females with orange-red head, thorax, and abdomen, with greenish-yellow bands and spots, shading to blackish over most of the body with yellow-green spots; males generally darker)
Macropharyngodon pakoko Delrieu-Trottin, Williams & Planes 2014 named for the Marquesan warrior Pakoko (d. 1984), the last chieftain who led the Marquesan resistance to the French; he is still celebrated in the Marquesas (where this wrasse is endemic) and an important figure in the community [a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Macropharyngodon vivienae Randall 1978 in honor of marine biologist Mireille L. Rarmelin-Vivien (b. 1947), who collected (with dynamite) and illustrated type
Minilabrus Randall & Dor 1981 mini-, small; labrus, referring to the family Labridae, probably the smallest genus of wrasse
Minilabrus striatus Randall & Dor 1981 striped, referring to dark stripes on head and body of both color forms
Ophthalmolepis Bleeker 1862 ophthalmus, eye; lepis, scale, referring to patch of scales behind eye
Ophthalmolepis lineolata (Valenciennes 1839) lined, presumably referring to distinctive blue lines on head of adults
Parajulis Bleeker 1879 para-, near, presumably referring to similarity to and/or previous placement of P. poecilepterus in Julis [authorship often and incorrectly given as Bleeker 1865]
Parajulis poecilepterus (Temminck & Schlegel 1845) poecilio-, varicolored; pterus, fin, referring to its “painted” (translation) fins: pectorals bluish gray and yellow at the base, ventrals ashy gray mixed with red-to-yellow in the rays, caudal golden yellow with vermillion-red stripes, dorsal reddish at the base and yellow in the middle with reddish spots, anal like the dorsal but bordered by a three-colored band (bluish, reddish, lilac)
Pseudocoris Bleeker 1862 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may resemble Coris, such an appearance is false (according to Randall et al. 2015, Pseudocoris is an evolutionary offshoot of Coris adapted to feeding on zooplankton in the water column whereas Coris are benthic feeders on hard-shelled invertebrates]
Pseudocoris aequalis Randall & Walsh 2008 equal or uniform, referring to near-uniform height of dorsal fin of terminal-phase males, a feature distinguishing it from other species of Pseudocoris
Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata Fourmanoir 1971 aurantia, orangish; fasciata, banded, referring to six orange-red vertical bands placed on anterior half of body of males
Pseudocoris bleekeri (Hubrecht 1876) in honor of Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878), Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, “who has introduced into science such a considerable number of new fishes from the [Molucca] archipelago already”
Pseudocoris hemichrysos Randall, Connell & Victor 2015 hemi-, partial; chrysos, gold, presumably referring to large patch of orange-yellow on rear upper body of terminal-phase males
Pseudocoris heteroptera (Bleeker 1857) hetero-, different; pterus, fin, referring to elongate first and second dorsal-fin spines of terminal-phase males [although Bleeker consistently treated pterus as a noun, name is treated as an adjective per prevailing usage]
Pseudocoris occidentalis Randall, Connell & Victor 2015 western, referring to distribution in western Indian Ocean, west of its Pacific congeners
Pseudocoris ocellata Chen & Shao 1995 having eye-like spots, referring to dumbbell-shaped ocellus on midbody of males
Pseudocoris petila Allen & Erdmann 2012 thin or slender, referring to elongate body shape
Pseudocoris yamashiroi (Schmidt 1931) in honor of Mr. A. Yamashiro, professor of English in Naha, Japan, to whom Schmidt was “very much indebted for the success of [his] collecting work on the Okinawa Island” (Yamashiro apparently served as a guide and interpreter)
Pseudojuloides Fowler 1949 –oides, having the form of: similar to Pseudojulis but differing in having greatly larger scales on chest, breast and space before pectoral fins (which are shorter), and caudal fin broadly scaled to about its basal third
Pseudojuloides argyreogaster (Günther 1867) argyreos, silvery; gaster, belly, presumably referring to color in spirits, featuring a broad pearl-colored band along each side of belly commencing at base of pectorals (perhaps, per Randall & Randall 1981, as a result of initial preservation in alcohol)
Pseudojuloides atavai Randall & Randall 1981 Tahitian word for pretty, referring to attractive color pattern of both sexes
Pseudojuloides cerasinus (Snyder 1904) cherry red, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to any or all of the following: reddish-orange dorsal area fading ventrally to light orange; reddish-orange spot at lower edge of pectoral-fin base; spinous dorsal fin suffused with red; scaled portion of caudal fin reddish orange
Pseudojuloides crux Tea, Gill & Senou 2020 named for the Crux Constellation or Southern Cross, referring to this wrasse’s southern distribution (Western Australia), and for the numerous metallic-blue spots on the dark upper body of males, reminiscent of stars in the night sky
Pseudojuloides edwardi Victor & Randall 2014 in honor of Jason Edward, Greenwich Aquaria (Riverside, Connecticut, USA), who was instrumental in obtaining male type specimens and supplying them to the authors
Pseudojuloides elongatus Ayling & Russell 1977 elongate, referring to very elongate body form, the depth 4.2-5.6 in SL
Pseudojuloides erythrops Randall & Randall 1981 erythros, red; ops, eye, referring to red eye of both sexes
Pseudojuloides kaleidos Kuiter & Randall 1995 kalos, beauty; eidos, form, referring to the varied colors of the kaleidoscope; “Few fishes display such a broad range of colors as this wrasse”
Pseudojuloides labyrinthus Victor & Edward 2016 labyrinthine, referring to maze-like pattern of lines on head and body
Pseudojuloides mesostigma Randall & Randall 1981 mesos, middle; stigma, mark or spot, referring to large black spot in middle of body and dorsal fin of males
Pseudojuloides paradiseus Tea, Gill & Senou 2020 paradise, referring to the “arresting live coloration of the males”
Pseudojuloides pluto Tea, Greene, Earle & Gill 2020 Pluto, god and king of the underworld in Roman mythology, referring to “nefarious and sinister” appearance of males (see also P. proserpina)
Pseudojuloides polackorum Connell, Victor & Randall 2015 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Dennis and Sally Polack (Gauteng, South Africa), whose underwater photographs first brought this species to the authors’ attention
Pseudojuloides polynesica Victor 2017 Polynesian, referring to French Polynesia, type locality (also occurs at Austral Islands west of Cook Islands and the Line Islands)
Pseudojuloides proserpina Tea, Greene, Earle & Gill 2020 Proserpina, goddess and queen of the underworld in Roman mythology, referring to both its “haunting” coloration and close relationship to P. pluto
Pseudojuloides pyrius Randall & Randall 1981 fiery, referring to flame-like colors of both sexes
Pseudojuloides severnsi Bellwood & Randall 2000 in honor of dive guide R. Michael “Mike” Severns, who organized the collection and deposition of type material from Alor, Indonesia
Pseudojuloides splendens Victor 2017 shining, brilliant, or splendid, referring to “splendid” color pattern of terminal-phase males
Pseudojuloides xanthomos Randall & Randall 1981 xanthos, yellow; omos, shoulder, referring to horizontal lemon-yellow band extending posteriorly from upper end of gill opening to end of pectoral fin
Pseudojuloides zeus Victor & Edward 2015 named for the Greek god Zeus, who cast bolts of lightning at unsuspecting mortals, referring to jagged blue stripes on sides, which resemble lightning bolts
Stethojulis Günther 1861 stethos, breast or chest, referring to thoracic scales as large as, or larger, than those on sides; Julis, original genus of several species Günther moved to Stethojulis
Stethojulis albovittata (Bonnaterre 1788) albus, white; vittata, banded, referring to three longitudinal white stripes on body (probably a terminal-phase male, which has four longitudinal dark-edged blue lines on body that appear pale in alcohol)
Stethojulis balteata (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) banded or belted, referring to wide, bright-orange band, edged with purple, extending from operculum to tail on terminal-phase males
Stethojulis bandanensis (Bleeker 1851) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Banda Neira, Banda Islands, Indonesia, type locality (widely occurs in eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific)
Stethojulis interrupta (Bleeker 1851) interrupted, presumably referring to upper and lower halves of body of terminal males separated by a dark-edged blue line that is usually interrupted on anterior half of body
Stethojulis maculata Schmidt 1931 spotted, presumably referring to four “cross-bandlike large blackish spots” on sides under lateral line (described from a single specimen, probably a terminal-phase male)
Stethojulis marquesensis Randall 2000 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Marquesas Islands, where it is endemic
Stethojulis notialis Randall 2000 southern, referring to its occurrence in the southwestern Pacific
Stethojulis strigiventer (Bennett 1833) striga, stripe or streak; venter, belly, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to 5-6 narrow white stripes on lower half of body of initial-phase individuals
Stethojulis terina Jordan & Snyder 1902 exquisite, described as a “beautiful” species
Stethojulis trilineata (Bloch & Schneider 1801) tri-, three; lineatus, lined, referring to three pale, narrow stripes along body of terminal-phase males (a fourth stripe on head extends to above pectoral fin)
Thalassoma Swainson 1839 thalassinus, sea-green; soma, body, allusion not explained, possibly referring to dominant body color (females greenish, males greenish-blue with pinkish-purple markings) of type species, T. purpureum
Thalassoma amblycephalus (Bleeker 1856) amblys, blunt; cephalus, head, referring to blunt and rounded profile compared to T. cupido [often declined as an adjective, amblycephalum, but Bleeker consistently treated cephalus as a noun]
Thalassoma ascensionis (Quoy & Gaimard 1834) –is, genitive singular of: Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean, where it is endemic
Thalassoma ballieui (Vaillant & Sauvage 1875) in honor of Pierre Étienne Théodore Ballieu (1828-1885), French consul to the Sandwich Islands (Hawai‘i), who provided Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris) with many specimens from Hawai‘i, including type of this wrasse (see also Coris ballieui, Labriformes part 1)
Thalassoma bifasciatum (Bloch 1791) bi-, two; fasciatum, banded, referring to two black bars (divided by a white band) behind blue head of terminal-phase males
Thalassoma cupido (Temminck & Schlegel 1845) etymology not explained, perhaps named for Cupid, Roman god of erotic love and desire, or generically meaning “desire” or “longing,” perhaps alluding to the desirable nature of its “beautiful” (translation) color pattern
Thalassoma duperrey (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) in honor of Louis Isidore Duperrey (1786-1865), French naval officer and marine hydrologist, aboard L’Uranie during its 1817-1820 voyage around the world [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Thalassoma genivittatum (Valenciennes 1839) genys, cheek; vittatus, banded, referring to green stripes on cheek
Thalassoma grammaticum Gilbert 1890 streaked or lined, referring to four narrow greenish streaks or bands across cheek and radiating from eye
Thalassoma hardwicke (Bennett 1830) in honor of soldier and naturalist Thomas Hardwicke (1755-1835), “for whose ready and able assistance in this work, the Author is desirous to record his gratitude” [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Thalassoma hebraicum (Lacepède 1801) Hebrew, referring to arrangement of lines on cheek, said to resemble letters of the Hebrew alphabet
Thalassoma heiseri Randall & Edwards 1984 in honor of marine biologist and underwater photographer John B. Heiser, Director of the Shoals Marine Laboratory in the Gulf of Maine (1979-1994), who wrote his 1981 Ph.D. thesis on the classification of Thalassoma
Thalassoma jansenii (Bleeker 1856) in honor of Albert Jacques Frédéric Jansen (d. 1861), an administrator in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and resident of Sulawesi, who provided type
Thalassoma loxum Randall & Mee 1994 slanting, referring to three down-curving, salmon-pink bands on cheek and operculum
Thalassoma lucasanum (Gill 1862) –anus, belonging to: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, México, type locality
Thalassoma lunare (Linnaeus 1758) of the moon, referring to caudal fin, shaped like a half-moon or crescent
Thalassoma lutescens (Lay & Bennett 1839) yellowish, presumably referring to yellow-green body of initial-phase females
Thalassoma newtoni (Osório 1891) in honor of Col. Francisco Xavier Aguilar O’Kelly Azeredo Newton (1864-1909), “vaillant et distingué” Portuguese explorer and naturalist, who collected type
Thalassoma nigrofasciatum Randall 2003 nigro-, black; fasciatum, banded, referring to black bars on bodies of adults
Thalassoma noronhanum (Boulenger 1890) –ana, belonging to: Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil, type locality
Thalassoma pavo (Linnaeus 1758) peacock, name dating to Hasselquist (1749), presumably referring to its varied and vivid coloration, like that of a peacock
Thalassoma purpureum (Forsskål 1775) purple, referring to pinkish-purple markings (on otherwise greenish-blue body) of terminal-phase males
Thalassoma quinquevittatum (Lay & Bennett 1839) quinque, five; vittatus, banded, described from a painting, showing five bands, two on back and sides, two on head, one on dorsal fin
Thalassoma robertsoni Allen 1995 in honor of ichthyologist David Ross Robertson (b. 1946), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, for his contributions to the knowledge of both eastern Pacific and Caribbean reef fishes; he also helped collect type specimens
Thalassoma rueppellii (Klunzinger 1871) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of explorer-naturalist Eduard Rüppell (1794-1884), whose 1828-30 work on fishes of the Red Sea (where this wrasse is endemic) is cited many times by Klunzinger
Thalassoma sanctaehelenae (Valenciennes 1839) of Saint Helena Island, South Atlantic, type locality (also occurs at Ascension Islands, where it may have been introduced)
Thalassoma septemfasciatum Scott 1959 septem, seven; fasciatus, banded, referring to seven blue bands, six on body and one on caudal peduncle
Thalassoma trilobatum (Lacepède 1801) tri-, three; lobatus, lobed, allusion not explained but probably referring to trilobed caudal fin of terminal-phase males
Thalassoma virens Gilbert 1890 green, referring to uniform bright-green coloration
Xenojulis de Beaufort 1939 xenos, strange or foreign (i.e., different); julis, perhaps an abridgement of Stethojulis, described as related to that genus but differing in dentition
Xenojulis margaritacea (Macleay 1883) pearly, described as having a “broad pearly stripe more or less edged with black, extending from the operculum to, or nearly to, the tail,” perhaps referring to whitish scales