PSEUDODAX MOLUCCANUS - (VALENCIENNES, 1840)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Perciformes (Order) > Labroidei (Suborder) > Labridae (Family) > Pseudodax (Genus)
Labre des Moluques, Labre indigo, Vieille ciseau, Chiseltooth wrasse, Chisel-tooth wrasse, Meisselzahn-Lippfisch, Meißelzahn-Lippfisch, Beiteltand-lipvis, Bodião tesoura, Vieja cuchilla, Budaibera, ブダイベラ, 拟鹦鲷, 桔点拟凿牙鱼,
Synonymes
Odax borbonicus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Odax moluccanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Odax varius (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax mollucanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax molluccanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax moluccensis (Günther, 1862)
Pseudodax molucanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax moluccans (Valenciennes, 1840)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 14; Pectoral fin rays: 15; Lateral line continuous without a sharp bend, the pored scales: 30-31. Body moderately deep. Dorsal profile of head only slightly curved convexly; Jaws prominent; Two prominent spatulate incisors anteriorly in each jaw, those of lower jaw followed by a second pair; Remaining teeth in jaws meet in a cutting ridge. Lateral line continuous with no sharp bend. Head scaly except for interorbital, snout, and chin. Caudal fin slightly rounded. Max. length: 30.0 cm TL. Depth: 3 - 60 m, usually: 4 - 40 m.
Color
Juveniles are pale blue with a broad midbody stripe, and subadults have a yellow band on the tail base.
Adults greyish to reddish-brown wrasse with a dark streak or spot on each body scale, a blue streak above a yellow upper lip, blue teeth, and a black caudal fin with a blue margin.
Etymology
Pseudodax: from Greek, pseudes = false + from Greek, odax = with the teeth. Although this genus may resemble Odax, with its one species previously placed in it, such an appearance is false.
moluccanus: from Molucca Islands, Indonesia, type locality + from Latin suffix, –anus = belonging to.
Original description: Odax moluccanus Valenciennes, 1840 - Type locality: Molucca Islands, Indonesia.
Distribution
Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), Socotra, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Marquesas Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to New Caledonia and Tonga.
Biology
Inhabits clear channels and seaward reefs. Juveniles are commonly found along drop-offs. Adults usually found near caves while juveniles frequently live inside them. Adults are solitary and feed on algae and small invertebrates. Juveniles resemble cleaner wrasse of the genus Labroides and also remove external parasites form other fishes. Because of its dentition, it is regarded as a close relative to the parrotfishes (Scaridae), although it behaves like the species of Anampses. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Aquarium fish.
Last update: 5, June 2022
Labre des Moluques, Labre indigo, Vieille ciseau, Chiseltooth wrasse, Chisel-tooth wrasse, Meisselzahn-Lippfisch, Meißelzahn-Lippfisch, Beiteltand-lipvis, Bodião tesoura, Vieja cuchilla, Budaibera, ブダイベラ, 拟鹦鲷, 桔点拟凿牙鱼,
Synonymes
Odax borbonicus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Odax moluccanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Odax varius (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax mollucanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax molluccanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax moluccensis (Günther, 1862)
Pseudodax molucanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Pseudodax moluccans (Valenciennes, 1840)
-------------------------
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 14; Pectoral fin rays: 15; Lateral line continuous without a sharp bend, the pored scales: 30-31. Body moderately deep. Dorsal profile of head only slightly curved convexly; Jaws prominent; Two prominent spatulate incisors anteriorly in each jaw, those of lower jaw followed by a second pair; Remaining teeth in jaws meet in a cutting ridge. Lateral line continuous with no sharp bend. Head scaly except for interorbital, snout, and chin. Caudal fin slightly rounded. Max. length: 30.0 cm TL. Depth: 3 - 60 m, usually: 4 - 40 m.
Color
Juveniles are pale blue with a broad midbody stripe, and subadults have a yellow band on the tail base.
Adults greyish to reddish-brown wrasse with a dark streak or spot on each body scale, a blue streak above a yellow upper lip, blue teeth, and a black caudal fin with a blue margin.
Etymology
Pseudodax: from Greek, pseudes = false + from Greek, odax = with the teeth. Although this genus may resemble Odax, with its one species previously placed in it, such an appearance is false.
moluccanus: from Molucca Islands, Indonesia, type locality + from Latin suffix, –anus = belonging to.
Original description: Odax moluccanus Valenciennes, 1840 - Type locality: Molucca Islands, Indonesia.
Distribution
Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), Socotra, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Marquesas Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to New Caledonia and Tonga.
Biology
Inhabits clear channels and seaward reefs. Juveniles are commonly found along drop-offs. Adults usually found near caves while juveniles frequently live inside them. Adults are solitary and feed on algae and small invertebrates. Juveniles resemble cleaner wrasse of the genus Labroides and also remove external parasites form other fishes. Because of its dentition, it is regarded as a close relative to the parrotfishes (Scaridae), although it behaves like the species of Anampses. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Aquarium fish.
Last update: 5, June 2022