Anampses elegans
Elegans wrasse | Elegant Wrasse
Anampses elegans, male, Lord Howe Island, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Anampses elegans, female, Lord Howe Island, NSW, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Anampses elegans, juvenile, Lord Howe Island, NSW, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Anampses elegans, male, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Photo: Ian Shaw
Anampses elegans, juvenile, Lord Howe Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Yellow tail, blue lines on face, with 3 passing through the eye, yellow anal fin, and green to yellow back with lighter underside. Males with much 'cleaner' and brighter markings, blue lateral line straight down mid body dividing yellow back from pale underside and thin vertical blue bars on body. Females with duller and less distinct markings, body covered in vertically elongated blue spots which for rows along body. Juveniles have ocellus at rear of dorsal fin and often school together, while adults are mostly solitary. While juveniles can form small aggregations in coastal bays and harbours, adults are only occasionally sighted on the mainland
Information
Max Size: 29 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 18-25.1°C
Depth: 2-35m
Habitat Generalization Index: 14.75
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 (39.9% 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: Several (6 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