Cheilinus fasciatus
A wrasse long placed in Cheilinus, now sister to slingjaw wrasses.
The red-breasted wrasse (Concholabrus fasciatus) is a fish found in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific. For a long time, scientists classified it under the genus Cheilinus, but genetic studies later showed it is actually most closely related to the slingjaw wrasses in the genus Epibulus, making it their sister group. This discovery led to its reclassification into the newly created genus Concholabrus in 2025, as part of a broader reorganization of the wrasse family. The species reaches up to 40 cm in standard length. Its head is greenish-blue, followed by a bright red-orange band, then black and white stripes. Fish in the terminal phase typically have a more pronounced red band and a convex forehead compared to initial phase and juvenile individuals. The red-breasted wrasse lives in tropical Indo-Pacific waters, from the Red Sea and African coast out to the western Pacific islands. Its habitat includes lagoons and seaward reefs with a mix of rubble, coral, and sand, at depths of 4 to 60 meters, though it is less common below 40 meters. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks, and other hard-shelled invertebrates.
Quick Facts
- Maximum length
- 40 cm standard length
- Depth range
- 4 to 60 m, rarer below 40 m
- Habitat
- lagoons and seaward reefs in areas mixing rubble, coral, and sand
- Diet
- crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks, and other hard-shelled invertebrates
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The red-breasted wrasse has a head that is greenish-blue, followed by a distinctive red-orange band, then black and white stripes. Terminal phase fishes generally have a more pronounced red band and convex forehead than initial phase and juvenile fish. It can reach a maximum of 40 cm in standard length.
This species lives in lagoons and seaward reefs in areas mixing rubble, coral, and sand at depths from 4 to 60 m, though it is rarer below 40 m. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks, and other hard-shelled invertebrates.
Taxonomically, the red-breasted wrasse has long been placed within the genus Cheilinus, though the advent of genetic analysis revealed it was in fact closer to the slingjaw wrasses of genus Epibulus, being their sister taxon. As a result, it was moved to the newly erected genus Concholabrus in 2025, as part of a greater taxonomic revision of the wrasse family.
Reader's Guide
The red-breasted wrasse is notable for its taxonomic history, having been long placed within the genus Cheilinus before genetic analysis revealed its closer relationship to the slingjaw wrasses of genus Epibulus. This discovery led to its reclassification into the newly erected genus Concholabrus in 2025 as part of a greater taxonomic revision of the wrasse family. The species is native to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea and the African coast to the islands of the western Pacific. Its distinctive coloration—a greenish-blue head followed by a red-orange band and black and white stripes—makes it recognizable, with terminal phase fishes showing a more pronounced red band and convex forehead. The species inhabits lagoons and seaward reefs at depths of 4 to 60 m, feeding on hard-shelled invertebrates such as crustaceans, sea urchins, and mollusks. Its maximum standard length of 40 cm places it among the medium-sized wrasses. The taxonomic revision that moved it to Concholabrus underscores the ongoing refinement of wrasse phylogeny based on genetic data.
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