Coris gaimard

Coris gaimard, the yellowtail wrasse or African coris, among other vernacular names, is a species of wrasse native to the tropical waters of the central Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, from Christmas Islands and Cocos Keeling Islands to the Society Islands, Hawaii, and from Japan to Australia. It is an inhabitant of coral reefs, being found in areas that offer a mix of sand patches, rubble, and coral at depths from 1 to 50 m (3.3 to 164.0 ft). This species can also be found in the aquarium trade and is popular species for display in public aquaria.^[2]

Coris gaimard
Female
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Labridae
Genus:	Coris
Species:	C. gaimard
Binomial name
Coris gaimard (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Synonyms[2]
List Julis gaimard Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 Coris gaimard gaimard (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) Julis greenovii E. T. Bennett, 1828 Coris greenovii (E. T. Bennett, 1828) Julis ganymede J. W. Bennett, 1830 Julis leucorhynchos Bleeker, 1856 Coris pulcherrima Günther, 1862 Julis gaimard speciosa Fowler, 1946 Coris gaimard speciosa (Fowler, 1946)

Description

This species can reach 40 cm (16 in) in total length, though most do not exceed 20 cm (7.9 in).^[2] As a juvenile, it is a bright red colour with large, black-margined white spots. As an adult, it has a pink face and fins, with the exception of the tail fin, which is bright yellow. The body is green towards the anterior darkening and decorated with bright blue specks towards the caudal peduncle. The fish also gains a very bright orange anterior when it grows into adulthood, and has a drastically shaded body in the posterior region that is dotted with very bright blue spots ringed with dark blue.

Growth series

Juvenile

Older juvenile

Young female

Older female

Male (terminal phase)

Gallery

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  Male (terminal phase)
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  Female
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  Female being cleaned by a Hawaiian cleaner wrasse
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  Female
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  Female
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  Female
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  Juvenile