DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ZOOGEOGRAPHY

ECOLOGY

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

VALUE OF FISH RESOURCES

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

DANGEROUS MARINE FISHES

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SPECIES INDEX

CHAMORRO NAMES

LABRIDAE (WRASSES)

The more than 60 species of labrids known from Guam span a tremendous range in size (from 5 cm to as much as 229 cm TL) and in body form.  All wrasses are carnivores.  Most species possess canine teeth used for seizing prey and well-developed pharyngeal teeth (inside the throat) used for crushing hard-shelled invertebrates.  A few feed on zooplankton, coral polyps, or parasites from the bodies of other fishes.  All wrasses are active by day and sleep at night, either buried under sand or hidden in crevices. Most wrasses exhibit considerable variation in color pattern between sexes and between age groups.  As far as is known, all are protogynous hermaphrodites: females have the capacity to turn into males while males are either born as males or are sex-reversed females.  Labrids are pelagic spawners, releasing their eggs and sperm away from the bottom.  Many of the larger species are harvested for food.

Bodianus axillaris (Bennett)
Coris gaimard (Quoy & Gaimard)
Epibulus insidiator (Pallas)
Cheilinus fasciatus (Bloch)
Cheilinus undulatus Rüppell
Cheilinus oxycephalus Bleeker
Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes)
Labroides bicolor Fowler & Bean
Labroides pectoralis Randall & Springer
Cirrhilabrus sp.
Gomphosus varius (Lacepède)
Hemigymnus fasciatus (Bloch)
Halichoeres hortulanus (Lacepède)
Halichoeres trimaculatus (Quoy & Gaimard)
Halichoeres margaritaceus (Valenciennes)
Stethojulis bandanensis (Bleeker)
Macropharyngodon meleagris (Valenciennes)
Novaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepède)
Thalassoma quinquevittatum (Lay & Bennett)