Background Information
The humphead wrasse, otherwise known as Cheilinus undulatus, belongs to the species of wrasse and lives in the ocean. As they mature, humphead wrasse begin to move out into deeper parts of water but when juvenile, they prefer to remain in shallow bodies of water amongst coral and beds of sea grass.
The humphead wrasse, otherwise known as Cheilinus undulatus, belongs to the species of wrasse and lives in the ocean. As they mature, humphead wrasse begin to move out into deeper parts of water but when juvenile, they prefer to remain in shallow bodies of water amongst coral and beds of sea grass.
The humphead wrasses' particular role in the environment involves them feeding on crown of thorns starfish. This habit is especially beneficial to the survival of coral reefs since coral is the favored aliment for this starfish. The humphead wrasse helps to keep the starfish populations under control which in turn, prevents the devastation of coral reefs.
The humphead wrasse is an animal that if not protected, is very capable of going extinct. A petition was submitted in October of 2012 to have them listed on the Endangered Species List but that request is only still being considered. However, this wrasse has made the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is currently listed as endangered. This is due to the fact that in the last thirty years, the numbers of wrasse have decreased by half.
The last time that the abundance of humphead wrasse was evaluated, (1994), the estimated numbers came out to be 1-2 fish per every 10,000 meters.