Black-blotched Rainbowfish
Halichoeres chloropterus
- Usual depth1–8 m
- Water temperature25–30 °C
- Best monthsMay, September, and November
- How commonOccasional
About this species
The pastel-green wrasse, also known as the black-blotched rainbowfish, black-blotched wrasse, dark-blotch wrasse or green-spotted wrasse, is a species of wrasse native to the central western Pacific Ocean. It can be found on coral reefs and the surrounding areas at depths from the surface to 10 m (33 ft). Its coloration varies depending upon the habitat in which it occurs, ranging from bright green in fish living in areas with heavy algal growth to pale or with dark bars for those inhabiting rubble areas. This species can reach 19 cm (7.5 in) in standard length. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Pastel-green wrasse”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 7 records
- February: 8 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 5 records
- May: 11 records
- June: 7 records
- July: 7 records
- August: 2 records
- September: 10 records
- October: 3 records
- November: 14 records
- December: 5 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1–8 m · Deepest record: 22.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–30 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Black-blotched Rainbowfish, Black-blotched Wrasse, Dark-blotch Wrasse, Green-spotted Wrasse, Java Wrasse, Pastel-green wrasse, Pastelgreen Wrasse
Names in 5 more languages
- German
- Grüner Junker
- Filipino
- Bankilan, Bunak, Bungat, Isdang bato, Mameng
- French
- Labre vert pastel
- Thai
- ปลานกขุนทองเหลืองลายเขียว
- Simplified Chinese
- 綠鰭海豬魚
Other scientific names: Halichoeres bleekeri, Halichoeres gymnocephalus, Halichoeres modestus, Julis cuvieri, Julis modestus, Labrus chloropterus, Labrus gymnocephalus, Platyglossus chloropterus, Platyglossus guttulatus
Similar species
Checkerboard wrasseHalichoeres hortulanus
Canary WrasseHalichoeres chrysus
duskytailed rainbowfishHalichoeres melanurus
Half-grey WrasseHalichoeres prosopeion
- Argus Wrasse
Halichoeres argus
- Biocellated Wrasse
Halichoeres biocellatus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 558 open-data records from 1929 to 2023.
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