Claudia's Wrasse

Halichoeres claudia

"Halichoeres claudia", the Christmas wrasse, is a species of wrasse of the family Labridae. It is widely distributed in the southwestern Pacific, occurring from French Polynesia to the Great Barrier Reef, with isolated populations in the Indian Ocean.
Claudia's Wrasse - Halichoeres claudia  Claudia's Wrasse,Fiji,Fish,Halichoeres claudia,Wrasse

Naming

This species was treated as "Halichoeres ornatissimus" for a long time, however, genetic evidence has shown that "H. ornatissimus" is restricted to Hawaii, while "H. claudia" is widespread in the western Pacific. The species was named in honor of Claudia Rocha for her contributions to ichthyology.

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Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderLabriformes
FamilyLabridae
GenusHalichoeres
SpeciesH. claudia
Photographed in
Fiji