Six-line Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus hexataenia

Six-line Wrasse

Pseudocheilinus hexataenia

Other Common Names
Six Striped Wrasse

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Six Striped Wrasse

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

The six-line wrasse has six dark purple-blue stripes alternating with narrow orange stripes on the upper two-thirds of its body. The lower part of its body is purple-orange. The lower part of its head has fine yellow dots. Its caudal fin is green with a small blue-edged black spot on the upper base. Their eyes are red with two white horizontal stripes.

The six-line wrasse grows to about 7.5 cm.

Habitat

Seaward reefs among coral branches; dense coral reefs in clear coastal waters. Common at depths of 2-35 m.

Diet

Small crustaceans

Life History

To avoid predators, spawning usually occurs in a quick upwards dash where males and females release eggs and sperm into the water. Eggs then float and disperse by ocean currents. Once the eggs hatch, they develop from larvae into juveniles, eventually settling on coral reefs.

Individuals begin their lives as female and are able to alter their sex to male. Once a female wrasse begins its transition to male, they go through two phases, initial and terminal. Initial phase males spawn in large groups and males in terminal phase are usually territorial and pair spawn with females of their choice.

The six-line wrasse usually occurs in small loose groups.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

In Tambon Rawai, Japan, six-line wrasse is used as food by the Moken People. The Moken people have a rich history as nomadic seafarers. Mainly during the juvenile stage, the six-line wrasse removes parasites and infected tissues from the surfaces of other fish.

In the Indo-West Pacific from the Red Sea to South Africa, to Ryukyu Islands, Johnston Island, Lorde Howe and Tuamotu Islands. Also found in Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea, Shark Reef, Beqa Lagoon in Fiji, Mozambique, Solomon Islands, Reunion Island and the Jordanian Red Sea.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

Six-line wrasse is a shy species, usually swimming amongst the protection of coral branches, commonly those of Pocillopora coral.

Citations & Other Resources

Bertoncini, A. 2010. Pseudocheilinus hexataenia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.
Randall, J. E., G.R. Allen, and R.C. Steene. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press.
Nam, S.-E., H.J. Eom, H.S. Park, and J.-S. Rhee. 2022. Complete mitochondrial genome of the six-line wrasse Pseudocheilinus hexataenia (Labriformes, Labridae). Mitochondrial DNA. Part B. Resources, 7(1), 167–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2021.2017367
Myers, R. F. 1991. Micronesian reef fishes : a practical guide to the identification of the coral reef fishes of the tropical central and western Pacific (2nd ed.). Coral Graphics.

Six-line Wrasse

Six-line Wrasse

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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