Specie's Decline
The numbers of humphead wrasse have been declining over time due to multiple reasons. To begin, these fish are highly desirable in Southeast Asia for consumption and live reef fish trade which motivates poachers to seek them out. Additionally, humphead wrasse take five to seven years to reach maturity and begin to produce offspring. This means that every time a juvenile humphead wrasse is killed, the chances for the specie's survival dwindles; that is only one more wrasse that cannot contribute to the population growth. And as the numbers of this fish continue to decline, the price for their flesh continues to rise and we move no closer to terminating their exploitation. |
Range
Humphead wrasse are most often found in the Indo-Pacific (the tropical waters of the Indian ocean, the western and central parts of the Pacific ocean, and the seas in between the two oceans). They can also be found from the Red Sea to South Africa, from Ryukyu Islands to New Caledonia, and around the Tuamoto Islands. Humphead wrasse commonly remain in pairs of two, (one male and one female), but have been spotted in groups of up to seven. Since the distinct populations of wrasse are not large, habitat size is not an issue. They will remain amongst reefs during the day (up to 330 feet deep) and will retreat into caves or under coral ledges for the night. |
Survivability
The last time a status review report was submitted for the humphead wrasse, it was put together by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association in September, 2014. At that point in time, it was determined that there are several factors which could potentially lead to the extinction of this species including its natural rarity. However, an overall risk of extinction was not constituted because the combined threats were not deemed damaging enough to cause extinction. Regardless, within the next thirty years, we could find ourselves living in a world without the humphead wrasse. That is to say, if their current condition does not improve and additional measures aren't taken to aid them in their survival. |