Pictilabrus viridis
False senator wrasse
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
The two sexes of the species do not differ greatly in appearance; they are similar to the male senator wrasse but without the black patch on the side. Size provides a useful guide when identifying this species, as male are almost all larger than the largest false senator wrasse. Both species can occur on the same southwestern reefs, with the false senator wrasse more abundant than its relative, particularly among brown seaweeds at waveswept locations.
Information
Max Size: 14 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 16.2-23.3°C
Depth: 0-10m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Common (45.8% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (4 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney