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Klunzinger’s wrasse

Distribution : Endemic to the Red Sea.

In 1871, Carl Benjamin Klunzinger published an account of the fishes of the Red Sea in Vienna. Among the species he described was a wrasse from Al-Qusayr on the Egyptian coast. He named it in honour of Eduard Rüppell, a German explorer who had travelled through Egypt, Sinai and along the shores of the Red Sea. More than 150 years later, historical specimens of this wrasse remain in the natural history museum in Stuttgart, surviving records of nineteenth-century European exploration.

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Habitat of Klunzinger’s wrasse Habitat
Coral reef, Rocky habitat
Depth range of Klunzinger’s wrasse Depth
Profondeur non documentée
Biological group of Klunzinger’s wrasse Group
Ecological role of Klunzinger’s wrasse Role
Predator

Size

Up to 20 cm

Good to know

Observe without touching or feeding animals and keep clear of the reef.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The bright colours of large males represent only one appearance of the Klunzinger’s wrasse (Thalassoma rueppellii). Young fish and females are less colourful. In the large male, the orange band and pink lines contrast with bluish green. The body is long, the mouth small, the tail edge indented. Length approaches twenty centimetres.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The known natural range of this species is the Red Sea. It uses coral reefs, particularly their edges and slopes, and remains mobile above the bottom rather than resting in a burrow. Encounters often occur within the first few tens of metres of water. Endemic means naturally restricted to this region; it does not mean the species is present on every individual reef.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

On the reef bottom, Klunzinger’s wrasse seeks small invertebrates. These animal resources make up the species’ generally known diet, although its meals remain poorly detailed.

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Klunzinger’s wrasse

Same habitat

Rocky seabed species

Same ecological role

Predatory species

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DEPTH HABITAT PHYLA ECOLOGICAL ROLE