A dark blue wrasse with a yellow tail base and, at the front, something no other wrasse here has: a pair of broad chisel-shaped incisors, more like a rodent's than a fish's.
They are for scraping. Where its relatives crush shells with throat plates, this fish shaves encrusting animals, algae and coral polyps off hard surfaces, and the flat cutting edge is exactly the tool for it. Juveniles use the same teeth for a different trade: they work as cleaners, picking parasites off larger fish.
It is the only member of its genus - one species, no close relatives, and an anatomy that sits oddly among the wrasses.
Thirty centimeters (12 in), usually alone, and more often seen on steep drop-offs than on shallow reef. Approach slowly and look at the mouth; nothing else on the reef has that face.
The genus. Pseudodax Bleeker 1861 - pseudo- (false). ETYFish
- dark blue-black body with a bright yellow tail base
- two blue lines running along the head
- chisel-shaped front teeth, visible at close range
- length up to 30 cm
Why it's threatened
There are no major threats known for this species.
Threat classification from the IUCN Red List.
