Cheilinus chlorourus (Bloch, 1791)

Pradhan, Alakesh, Medhi, Kabin, Mahapatra, Bijay Kali & Mishra, Subhrendu Sekhar, 2019, First Record of two Labroid fishes of the genera Halichoeres and Cheilinus (Perciformes: Labridae) from Northern Bay of Bengal, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 119 (3) : -

Cheilinus chlorourus (Bloch, 1791)

1791. Sparus chlorourus Bloch , Nat . Der. Aus. Fisc. (Pl. 260) 5: 24 (Type locality: Japan).

2012. Cheilinus chlorourus : Allen and Erdmann, Reef Fishes of East Indies, 2: 642.

Diagnosis: Body moderately deep, body depth 3.6 (3.3) in SL, equal to or more than head length, body width 2.6 (2.9) in depth; head convexly curved in front of dorsal fin, then straight to tip of snout, head length 3.6 (4.0) in SL; orbit diameter 5.6 (4.9) in HL. Mouth protrusible; jaw prominent and subequal; 2 strong canines situated anteriorly in each jaw. Dorsal fin continuous with 10 spines and 9 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 8 soft rays; pectoral fins with 2 unbranched and 10 branched rays; pelvic fin slightly filamentous; caudal fin rounded with 11 branched rays, the upper and lower rays forming elongate lobes. Lateral line interrupted below posterior portion of dorsal fin base with a total of 23 pored scales. Scales reached well onto bases of dorsal and anal fins; 6 scales in front of dorsal fin extending forward to above centre of eye; check and opercle with 2 rows of scales; lower jaw without scales.

Colouration: Body greenish brown with reddish brown fins; each scale on sides usually with a bluish spot, spots extending onto dorsal and anal fins; head with read spots, some joining form lines radiating from eye. Base and edge of the caudal fin whitish in colour, mid of caudal fin bluish black with bright bluish and whitish dots. Canine teethes in jaw bluish in colour.

Distribution: Widely distributed in Indo-Pacific from East and South Africa, east to Wake Atoll and Marshall Island in Western Pacific, further eastward to Hawaii, Marquesas and Galapagos Island in east Pacific, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia and Rapa ( Froese and Pauly, 2018). Along Indian coast this species is reported from Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.