Oriental maori wrasse

Oxycheilinus orientalis

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth4–81 m
Water temperature20–30 °C
Best monthsMay and October
How commonOccasional

All species

Photo credit: (c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 8 records
February: 12 records
March: 34 records
April: 17 records
May: 37 records
June: 7 records
July: 12 records
August: 31 records
September: 11 records
October: 58 records
November: 22 records
December: 9 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 4–81 m · Deepest record: 106.7 m

0–10 m: 61 records
10–20 m: 35 records
20–30 m: 12 records
30–40 m: 2 records
40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 8 records
60–70 m: 4 records
70–80 m: 5 records
80–90 m: 16 records
90–100 m: 1 records
100–110 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 20–30 °C

20–22 °C: 1 records
22–24 °C: 2 records
24–26 °C: 36 records
26–28 °C: 65 records
28–30 °C: 82 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Oriental maori wrasse, Oriental Wrasse, Slender maori wrasse

Names in 3 more languages

Filipino: Mameng
Japanese: Katagurohohosujimochinouo, カタグロホホスジモチノウオ
Simplified Chinese: 东方尖唇鱼, 東方尖唇魚, 東方鸚鯛, 東方龍, 汕散仔, 闊嘴郎

Other scientific names: Cheilinus orientalis, Cheilinus rhodochrous, Oxycheilinus rhodochrous

Similar species

Twospot wrasse
Oxycheilinus bimaculatus
bandcheek wrasse
Oxycheilinus digramma
Tripletail wrasse
Cheilinus trilobatus
Blunt-head Parrotfish
Chlorurus microrhinos
bullethead parrotfish
Chlorurus sordidus
Clown wrasse
Coris aygula

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.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
606 open-data records from 1945 to 2022.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist