Wildfinder

A searchable map database of more than 26,000 species worldwide.


Visit Wildfinder now

The Wild Things

The Wild Things

Listen to the story of how WWF helped a masked bandit return to the prairie, in the newest edition of WWF's podcast series "The Wild Things." Listen.

Take Action

Take Action

Take Action on Climate Change

Tell your member of Congress to vote YES on the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Take Action

Travel

Travel

Travel With WWF

Visit our travel section and choose from many amazing trips! Learn more

Adopt an Animal

Adopt an Animal

Make a symbolic animal adoption to help save some of the world's most endangered animals from extinction and support WWF's conservation efforts. Adopt Now!

Support WWF

Show your love of the polar bear with the WWF Visa Signature® credit card from Bank of America. Bank of America will contribute $100 to WWF for each new qualifying account.*

* See application for details.

Humphead Wrasse

Naturally rare, and in high demand

Common Name: Humphead wrasse, Napoleon wrasse, Napoleon fish; Napoléon (Fr); Napoléon (Sp)

Scientific Name: Cheilinus undulatus

Location: Indo-Pacific

Background

The humphead wrasse is one of the largest coral reef fishes and occurs patchily throughout much of the Indo-Pacific region. Its late maturity, longevity, predictable spawning sites, sequential hermaphroditism (the fish is born as one sex and changes into the other sex later in its life) and natural rarity make it highly vulnerable to over-exploitation.

The species has been subjected to largely unmanaged fisheries that have resulted in consistent marked population declines in fished areas where the species is both protected and unprotected, and with localised extirpations at the edges of its range.

Physical Description

Adult humphead wrasse are identified by thick lips and a prominent hump on their forehead, while juveniles are a light green colour, with two black lines extending from behind the eye. The species changes in body form, colour and sex during its lifetime. However, the factors that control hermaphroditism are not known.

Adults are found on the reef during the day. At night they rest in reef caves and under coral ledges.

Size
This species reaches a maximum length of more than 2 metres and up to 190 kg in weight.

Habitat

Range States
American Samoa, Australia, British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago), Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Fiji, French Polynesia (Tuamotu Is.), Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Somalia, Taiwan (Province of China), United States Minor Outlying Islands (Wake Is.)

Geographical Location
Indo-Pacific

Why is this species important?

The species is of traditional cultural importance in some Pacific countries.

Non-consumptive use of humphead wrasse is also particularly valuable to SCUBA diving operators. Some mature humphead wrasse can be found on the same stretch of reef for extended periods of time, creating special eco-tourism attractions for recreational divers of some range states such as Australia, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Other WWF Sites
   Please leave this field empty

Click the globe to explore WWF's work

Danger Watch

A species relative risk of extinction, as determined by the IUCN - The World Conservation Union. More

  1. Link Title

    Extinct

    No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.

  2. Link Title

    Extinct in the Wild

    Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population.

  3. Link Title

    Critically Endangered

    Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

  4. Link Title

    Endangered

    Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

  5. Link Title

    Vulnerable

    Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

  6. Link Title

    Near Threatened

    Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

  7. Link Title

    Least Concern

    Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endagnered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened

Related Information

Related Places

Coral Triangle

Species News

Take Action

Take action through WWF's Conservation Action Network, where you can speak out for wildlife and wild places around the globe.

Read more

WWF