Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Novaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepède, 1801)

vieja mueve roca, señorita viejita, Clown razorfish, rockmover wrasse, Dragon wrasse

Terminal phase red-brown to gray body; head pale; juvenil phase maroon to green or brown. Three body bars extend onto dorsal and anal fins and lines radiate from eyes. Size: 15-25 cm.

Habitat: Solitary inhabitant of reef flats and lagoons, usually in depths less than 15 m.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Teleostei

Order
Eupercaria incertae sedis

Suborder
Labroidei

Family
Labridae

Genus
Novaculichthys

Species
taeniourus

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Hemipteronotus taeniourus (Lacepède, 1801), Hemipteronotus taeniurus (Lacepède, 1801) (misspelling), Julis bifer Lay & Bennett, 1839, Labrus taeniours Lacepède, 1801 (misspelling), Labrus taeniourus Lacepède, 1801, Novaculichthys bifer (Lay & Bennett, 1839), Novaculichthys taeniorus (Lacepède, 1801) (misspelling), Novaculichthys taeniurus (Lacepède, 1801) (misspelling), Novaculichtys taeniorus (Lacepède, 1801) (misspelling), Xyrichthys taeniouris (Lacepède, 1801) (misspelling), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Distribution: Indo-Pacific; from the Gulf of Californiia to Panama and Ecuador in Galapagos Islands, Indo-Pacific. Central Gulf of California to Colombia. Revillagigedos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo

References

  • Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
  • Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
  • McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
  • Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
  • Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Novaculichthys taeniourus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7704. Accessed 2 May 2025.