Queen coris

Last updated

Queen coris
Queen coris (Coris formosa).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Coris
Species:
C. formosa
Binomial name
Coris formosa
Synonyms [2]
  • Labrus formosusJ. W. Bennett, 1830
  • Coris frerei Günther, 1867
  • Coris halei Day, 1888

The queen coris (Coris formosa), also known as the sand wrasse, Queen coris wrasse, Formosan coris, Formosa coris wrasse, Formosa wrasse, Indian Ocean wrasse or Indian sand wrasse, is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean from the Red Sea and the coast of east Africa to Sri Lanka. This species appears in the aquarium trade due to its vibrant colors. A special feature about this species is how much they change from juvenile to adult form, in color, behaviour, and diet.

Contents

Description

Similar in appearance to its cousin, Coris gaimard , the queen coris can measure between the range of 20 cm when young, but can grow up to approximately 60 cm. Its coloration usually varies within three different patterns. Generally it tends to be reddish to lavender in vibrant, striking color. When in adulthood, the creature appears blue-greenish, with dark edges and dark blue spots, covering the body (mainly towards the tail), with a red-orange line on its posterior margin towards the tail. [3] Towards the rostrum, the adult queen coris will also display vibrant, light blue, organic [?] lines. The fish has nine dorsal spines, twelve dorsal soft rays, and three anal spines. When young, Coris formosa are orange and brown on the bottom, with long white spots on the dorsal part of body. One can see a resemblance to a Clown Fish's color. [2] However, vibrant, blue features develop in adulthood. It is hypothesized that their variation on color depends on the depth at which they are found,[ citation needed ] but variation mainly results from differences between juvenile and adult stages of growth. Color is a crucial feature for Coris formosa because it is for display purposes; used to attract potential mating partners, and in combative relationships between males. The fish have small protruding teeth for feeding (mostly on hard-shelled organisms).

Distribution and habitat

Adults of this species are inhabitants of neritic oceanic coral reefs, and can be found at depths from 2 to 50 m (6.6 to 164.0 ft); meaning they are found in tropical waters within 24 °C to 27 °C. While juveniles are commonly found in tide pools, adults can be found usually in rocky, and coral areas, sometimes in vegitation. The species is distributed along the Western Indian Ocean, Southern Red Sea, South Africa, and east to Sri Lanka. [3]

Diet

Queen coris feed on hard-shell prey, such as crustaceans (shrimps, crabs, and amphipods) and  echinoderms (sea urchin, and small molluscs). As their teeth develop in adulthood, they are very efficient in predating hard shells, and can become very aggressive and destructive. [4] The young feed mainly on other smaller organisms, such as krill until they grow able to prey on hard-shelled organisms.

Reproduction

Similar to most fish, the queen coris is oviparous, [5] which means it produces its offspring from eggs. It is a protogynous fish, meaning it is semi-hermaphrodite. A semi-hermaphrodite can change gender from female to male. In this case, a female's reproductive parts develop before its male reproductive parts, and in most cases populations are mainly female. However, when a male is needed, one of the females will switch over to male for reproduction purposes. Queen coris display polygamy or distinct pairing during breeding. Consequently, males are dominant and usually are in charge of a large female harem or various harems, especially during reproduction. This situation can occur even though coris is a solitary species. It is hypothesized that males pursue females by swimming alongside them, fluttering their fins.

Behaviour

Queen coris are a very aggressive species because they are dominant, especially males during mating season. Aggression in fish is mostly territorial. The queen coris can be a threat to smaller fish, and it is a very effective invertebrate hunter. In aquariums, it has a habit of rearranging sand and rocks, and it tends to dig itself down in sandy substrate. [6] The digging may serve various purposes. This includes breeding, as the fish may lay eggs under sand for protection. Another potential use for the digging may be in foraging for food (most of the queen coris' prey resides in sand). Digging in soft substrates to sleep, or to create a home are also potential drivers of this behaviour. [4] The Queen coris is a solitary fish, and is extremely destructive in captivity, especially when it grows particularly large. The species requires a lot of space for swimming, and when in captivity, tends to hide under the sand during acclimatisation. [7] [6] When adult queen coris' are too large for the environment in a tank, they will tend to hide in small cracks between coral or rocks.

Conservation

The queen coris is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, and can also be found in the aquarium trade. [2] The species occupy the category of least concern, with the aquarium trade posing the major threat to the species. However, this trade currently does not cause serious harm to the species. Consequently, there is currently a very low risk of extinction. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomacanthidae</span> Family of fishes

Marine angelfish are perciform fish of the family Pomacanthidae. They are found on shallow reefs in the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and mostly western Pacific Oceans. The family contains seven genera and about 86 species. They should not be confused with the freshwater angelfish, tropical cichlids of the Amazon Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrasse</span> Family of marine fishes

The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them less than 20 cm (7.9 in) long, although the largest, the humphead wrasse, can measure up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft). They are efficient carnivores, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates. Many smaller wrasses follow the feeding trails of larger fish, picking up invertebrates disturbed by their passing. Juveniles of some representatives of the genera Bodianus, Epibulus, Cirrhilabrus, Oxycheilinus, and Paracheilinus hide among the tentacles of the free-living mushroom corals and Heliofungia actiniformis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humphead wrasse</span> Species of fish

The humphead wrasse is a large species of wrasse mainly found on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also known as the Māori wrasse, Napoleon wrasse, Napoleon fish, so mei 蘇眉 (Cantonese), mameng (Filipino), and merer in the Pohnpeian language of the Caroline Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moon wrasse</span> Species of fish

The moon wrasse also known as the crescent wrasse or lyretail wrasse, is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is an inhabitant of coral reefs and surrounding areas at depths from 1 to 20 m. Moon wrasses are carnivorous and tend to prey on fish eggs and small sea-floor dwelling invertebrates. This species can reach 45 cm (18 in) in total length. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade.

<i>Chromis viridis</i> Species of fish

Chromis viridis is a species of damselfish. Individuals tend to be iridescent apple-green and light blue, and reach a maximal length of 10 cm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clown coris</span> Species of fish

The clown coris, also known as the clown wrasse, false clownwrasse, humphead wrasse, hump-headed wrasse, red-blotched rainbowfish or twinspot wrasse, is a species of wrasse native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Checkerboard wrasse</span> Species of fish

The checkerboard wrasse is a fish belonging to the wrasse family. It is native to the area including the Indian Ocean to central Pacific Ocean.

<i>Novaculichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Novaculichthys taeniourus, also known as the rockmover wrasse, carpet wrasse, dragon wrasse, bar-cheeked wrasse, olive-scribbled wrasse or reindeer wrasse, is a species of wrasse mainly found in coral reefs and lagoons in the Indo-Pacific region. These include habitats in the Gulf of California to Panama; tropical Pacific Ocean islands including Hawaii; the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia; and the Indian Ocean to the east coast of Africa. The common name, "rockmover wrasse", comes from their behavior of upending small stones and reef fragments in search of prey. This species is the only known member of its genus.

<i>Chrysiptera parasema</i> Species of fish

Chrysiptera parasema, also known as yellowtail damselfish, yellowtail blue damsel, goldtail demoiselle and other variations, is a saltwater species of fish from the Indo-Pacific. It was described by Fowler in 1918.

<i>Coris gaimard</i> Species of fish

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. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade and is popular species for display in public aquaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixbar wrasse</span> Species of fish

The sixbar wrasse or six-banded wrasse is a species of wrasse in the family Labridae, native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is an inhabitant of reef environments at depths from the surface down to 15 m (50 ft). This species can grow to 20 cm (8 in) in total length, though most individuals do not exceed 15 cm (6 in). It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornate wrasse</span> Species of fish

The ornate wrasse is a species of wrasse native to the rocky coasts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is also popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen parrotfish</span> Colorful species of fish in Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea

The queen parrotfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is found on reefs in the tropical West Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Other common names include blownose, blue chub, blue parrotfish, blueman, joblin crow parrot, moontail, okra peji and slimy head. The young males and adult female queen parrotfish are a reddish-brown color, and quite different in appearance from the bluish-green color of the final phase male. This is a common species throughout its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowhead wrasse</span> Species of fish

The yellowhead wrasse is a fish species belonging to wrasse family native to shallow tropical waters in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Coris cuvieri</i> Species of fish

Coris cuvieri, the African wrasse, African coris or false clowwrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the wrasse family Labridae which is found in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.

<i>Halichoeres richmondi</i> Species of fish

Halichoeres richmondi, commonly called the Richmond's wrasse or chain-lined wrasse, is a fish species in the wrasse family native from the central Indo-Pacific.

Cirrhilabrus shutmani, also known as the magma fairy wrasse, was discovered by RVS Fishworld in 2016 living around the Didicas Volcano in the Babuyan Islands of the Philippines. The magma wrasse belongs to the family of 'Labridae', a colourful species of tropical and subtropical fish. The magma wrasse is found in tropical coral reef, within the depth range of 50–70 metres (160–230 ft). This species of fish usually inhabits steep slopes around coral reefs made up of loose rubble. It can be purchased within the aquarium trade.

Hologymnosus longipes, the sidespot longface wrasse or the plain slender wrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It occurs in the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Pseudocoris heteroptera</i> Species of fish

Pseudocoris heteroptera, the torpedo wrasse or zebra wrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a wrasse from the family Labridae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean where it is associated with reefs.

<i>Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa</i> Species of fish

Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, also known by its common name rose-veiled fairy wrasse, is a rainbow-colored wrasse that is native to the reefs of the Maldives.

References

  1. 1 2 Craig, M.T. (2010). "Coris formosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T187664A8594629. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187664A8594629.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Coris formosa" in FishBase. August 2019 version.
  3. 1 2 Sutton, Alan (2018-12-02). "Queen Wrasse- Facts and Photographs". Seaunseen. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  4. 1 2 "The Queen Wrasse - Whats That Fish!". www.whatsthatfish.com. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  5. Breder, C.M. & Rosen, D.E. (1966). Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p. Retrieved from FishBase 2023-05-26.
  6. 1 2 "Queen coris (Coris formosa) in aquarium". Reef App. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  7. "Formosa Wrasse, Formosan Coris Wrasse - Coris formosa". www.bluezooaquatics.com. Retrieved 2019-04-03.