Gomphosus caeruleus

This tropical species of wrasse is native to the Indian Ocean, from East Africa south to Natal, South Africa, and east to the Andaman Sea. It occurs on rocky reefs and coral, especially in coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs.[2] It occurs between depths of 1–35 metres (3.3–114.8 ft)[3]

Gomphosus caeruleus can reach a length of about 32 centimetres (13 in).[2] This is a dark specie of wrasse which has an extended 'beak-like' snout. The male has a light blue edge running along his pectoral fin and lime green dorsal and anal fins, The females have the lower head and breast pale with a marked dark stripe through eye they also have a yellow anal and caudal fins. Juveniles are pale with a dusky streak from their snout through the eye and onto the body. It can be told apart from the similar birdnose wrasse Gomphosus varius (Birdnose Wrasse) by it distribution and by the formers bright green stripe along the flanks of the males, no yellow in the tail of females or of a green back in the juveniles.[3] There are 8 spines in the dorsal fin which has 13 soft rays while the anal fin 3 spines and 11 rays.[2]

Gomphosus caeruleus was formally described in 1801 by Bernard Germain de Lacépède in the third volume of his Histoire naturelle des poissons from types collected by Philibert Commerson (1727-1773) and although no type locality was given it is known to be Mauritius.[4]

• Photos of Gomphosus caeruleus on Sealife Collection