Species: Halichoeres cyanocephalus, Yellowcheek Wrasse

Halichoeres cyanocephalus (Bloch, 1791)

Yellowcheek Wrasse

Elongate, compressed; mouth protrusible, opens at front, thick lips; rear of top jawbone not visible on cheek; toothed grinding plates in throat; enlarged canine teeth at front of both jaws (1 pair above, 2 pairs below), a canine at rear of top jaws; gill rakers 16-19; gill membranes fused under throat; dorsal fin IX, 10, not obviously notched between spiny and soft parts; anal fin III, 12; lateral line unbroken, but abruptly bent down under rear of dorsal fin, its tubes branched, except those on tail base, with 26-29 pored scales.

Juvenile: like IP but with a black centered ocellus on base of tail fin and another on rear base of dorsal fin. Initial phase: upper ½ of head an along top of back bright yellow; lower head white; upper side dark blue, that color extending to the tail, white below that; tail fin dark blue broadly edged above, below and at the rear with bright yellow; dorsal fin yellow, with a black stripe along its center. Terminal phase: upper 2/3 of head and along top of back yellow; a blue stripe up the center of the snout and an oblique short dark red stripe from eye up towards nape; a broad dark blue stripe from above pectoral base to base of tail fin; tail fin mainly yellow, with a blue blotch at fin base; dorsal fin black, with a white outer margin.

Reaches 30 cm.

Rubble and sand bottoms within reefs.

Depth range: 7-100 m, usually below 20 m.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean.

Note: Its sister species in Brazil is Halichoeres dimidiatus.