African Coris

Coris cuvieri, commonly known as the African wrasse, African coris, or false clown wrasse, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the wrasse family, Labridae. This species inhabits the 🌊 Indian Ocean and the 🌊 Red Sea and occasionally appears in the aquarium trade.

The African wrasse attains a maximum length of 38 centimeters (15 inches), making it slightly larger than the closely related Coris gaimard. It exhibits a predominantly dull orange-brown hue complemented by green markings that become increasingly pronounced with age. Adult males are distinguished by yellow and blue facial markings and possess a greenish-white vertical stripe mid-body—a feature absent in females. The body scales present green spots that contrast with the fish's dark reddish body. Juveniles display a bright orange-red coloration with five distinctive white patches bordered in black along the back, spanning from the snout to the caudal peduncle. As these juveniles mature, differences between this species and C. gaimard become more evident.

The distribution of Coris cuvieri extends across the 🌊 Indian Ocean and the 🌊 Red Sea, ranging from the southern Arabian Peninsula to the eastern coast of Africa, reaching as far south as 30°S in 🇿🇦 South Africa, and extending eastward to Sumatra (🇮🇩 Indonesia) and Bali (🇮🇩 Indonesia).

Typically, the African wrasse inhabits exposed outer reef flats and lagoon reefs, particularly at the seaward edges of reefs, thriving in areas with substrates composed of mixed sand, coral, and rubble. Juveniles are often found in small tidal pools and exposed reef flats with algae-covered rubble. This species is usually solitary, primarily consuming hard-shelled prey such as crustaceans, molluscs, and sea urchins. Its foraging behavior involves turning over rocks to find concealed invertebrates. Coris cuvieri is oviparous, with breeding pairs forming during the reproductive season, where a dominant male oversees a harem of smaller females.

While Coris cuvieri is available in the aquarium trade, the similar Coris gaimard is often preferred. However, the juveniles of these species are remarkably similar, which can lead to potential identification challenges.