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Girdled Wrasse

Notolabrus cinctus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth13–126 m
  • Water temperature9–18 °C
  • Best monthsOctober
  • How commonRare
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About this species

The girdled wrasse, Notolabrus cinctus, is a species of wrasse native to the waters around the South Island and southeastern North Island of New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands and Snares Islands, where it can be found at depths from 15 to 91 m. The males of this species can reach 29.9 cm (11.8 in) in standard length, while the females only reach 29.1 cm (11.5 in). There are two colour phases with older fish developing a large, dusky belt around the body. This is not associated with changing sex which happens about three years after the development of the belt. They feed on molluscs and small crustacea. They occur on rocky reefs, where they are common.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Girdled 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: 5 records
  • February: 2 records
  • March: 2 records
  • April: 9 records
  • May: 2 records
  • June: 1 records
  • July: 2 records
  • August: 3 records
  • September: 0 records
  • October: 40 records
  • November: 3 records
  • December: 3 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 13–126 m · Deepest record: 225.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 11 records
  • 10–20 m: 46 records
  • 20–30 m: 47 records
  • 30–40 m: 20 records
  • 40–50 m: 11 records
  • 50–60 m: 4 records
  • 60–70 m: 5 records
  • 70–80 m: 24 records
  • 80–90 m: 19 records
  • 90–100 m: 3 records
  • 100–110 m: 2 records
  • 110+ m: 28 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 9–18 °C

  • 8–10 °C: 1 records
  • 10–12 °C: 35 records
  • 12–14 °C: 207 records
  • 14–16 °C: 1 records
  • 16–18 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

English
Girdled Wrasse
Names in 2 more languages
German
Gürtel-Lippfisch
Simplified Chinese
橫帶擬隆頭魚

Other scientific names: Labrichthys cincta, Pseudolabrus cinctus

Similar species

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).
  • 246 open-data records from 1918 to 2018.
  • Species data updated November 5, 2026.

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