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Interesting Facts about Broomtail Wrasse
[Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Actinopterygii (bony-fish)] [Order: Labriformes] [Genus: Cheilinus]
Out of 600 different species of wrasses, one of the largest is actually native to the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
This page contains facts and information about the broomtail wrasse fish, including where they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce.
Broomtail Wrasses Habitat and Distribution
Cheilinus lunulatus is the scientific name for one of the vibrant wrasse fishes found in some regions of the Persian Gulf, but especially near:
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- The Seychelles
- Somalia
Even though the broomtail wrasse is not on "the endangered species red list", populations are limited to a few specific oceanic regions.
For the most part, you find them setting up habitats in areas with coral-rich reef slopes that also have some sand, seagrass, or sporadic deposits of rubble (e.g. man made coral reefs).
In fact, most wrasse species live at shallow depths, usually ranging from only a few metres and down to thirty (30) metres (100 feet).
Pro Tip: It's quite common for snorkelers and scuba divers to confuse the tripletail wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus) with Cheilinus lunulatus.
Broomtail Wrasse Characteristics
The largest wrasse species that's still in existence today is the Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus). Even so, the average size of adult male broomtail wrasses is around fifty (50) centimetres (20 inches) and up to thirty five (35) centimetres (14 inches) for fully matured females.
Juvenile and female broomtails tend to display somewhat muted body colouration and dull patterns. For example, the olive-coloured face often contains pale vertical stripes that fizzle out towards an orange flush on their pectoral fins.
Here's the thing:
The general appearance of the male broomtail wrasse tends to be a lot more intense. Plus, the bright green head often contains a selection of small spots and the big blue lips are thickset.
This shy and somewhat solitary species has bright yellow pectoral fins and a yellow and green middle section that transitions to a darker blue colour (sometimes purple).
There is a long list of fish with funny names, but the long and fringed caudal fin of the broomtail wrasse seems to be appropriate because it resembles the bristles of an old broom.
What Do Broomtail Wrasse Eat?
Most of the wrasse fish types use their extended teeth to graze on the bottom of the seabed. Hence, the main diet for these carnivores will include a large variety of hard-shelled invertebrates and marine mollusks, such as:
Clams- Crabs
- Saltwater sea snails
- Sea urchins (including brittle stars)
- Shrimps
- Small fishes
- Worms and insects
Pro Tip: The parrot fish family are common sightings that closely resemble some of the most colourful wrasse fishes.
How Do Broomtail Wrasse Reproduce?
Wrasses are sexually dimorphic fishes. Put another way, some will be both male and female at some time in their life.
This phenomenon only works because the majority of the wrasse species are protogynous hermaphrodites (able to transform from females into males).
Mating takes place through a process called 'broadcast reproduction' - a common occurrence in bony fish. Simply put, a female will release eggs into the water column and the male will release the sperm for external fertilisation.
And the outcome...
When females produce eggs, the average clutch size will be around one thousand. After releasing the eggs, many of the species will adopt a role of 'parental care'. Even though the parents take on this duty, the incubation period is only twenty four (24) hours.
In a nutshell, the males will guard the eggs until they hatch - usually scattered in various cavities in the reef. The larvae become part of the plankton bloom for the first thirty days. Then, they should be large enough to join the adult community.
Threats and Predators
The average lifespan for broomtail wrasses can be up to twenty (20) years in the wild (e.g. not kept as pets in an aquarium). In fact, keen aquarists sometimes refer to them as the Red Sea wrasse or the thicklip wrasse.
The current conservation status of most wrasse species remains as 'not endangered'. Nonetheless, besides some small loss due to the aquarium trade, other contributing factors for significant declines in some species include:
- Climate change (e.g. ocean acidification)
- Overfishing
- Habitat loss and degradation (e.g. coral reef destruction)
Pro Tip: Despite being a natural predator itself, the broomtail wrasse (Cheilinus lunulatus) is also a favourite prey of larger fishes (e.g. groupers) and many of the shark species.