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The checkerboard wrasse, ''Halichoeres hortulanus'', is a fish species belonging to wrasse family native to the area including the Indian Ocean to central Pacific Ocean. ==Description== The checkboard wrasse is a small sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 27 cm.〔Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.〕 Both, its sex and appearance change during its life and the colouring at each stage is rather variable even according to the distribution area. The body is thin, relatively lengthened and its mouth is terminal. At juvenile stage, this wrasse has a white silvery background color with three black and dark red vertical patchs from back head, middle of the body and on the caudal peduncle. A black ocellus with yellow ring adorns the rear of the dorsal fin, two distinctive white spots are also visible on top and bottom of the caudal peduncle. Also a reddish line pass trough the eyes starting from tip of the snout. From the initial to terminal phase, there is a large variation of coloration, which makes the description quite difficult. But we can describe the species at its terminal phase. The checkerboard wrasse has a white to greenish background coloration with blue to black on the edge of its scales, thus reminding a checkerboard pattern. The head is greenish with pink lines stretching to dots behind the eyes until the base of dorsal fin. Whatever the distribution area where the wrasse is observed, all have a bright yellow spot in front of the body just at the border of the side and the dorsal fin. Some color variation occur with a possible black spot just behind the characteristic first yellow spot, and a second bright yellow spot can be seen along the edge of the dorsal fin but at the end of this later. In (Sea ), some checkerboard wrasse have half back body colored in blue. The caudal fin is truncated and it's usually yellow with pinkish pattern, which can be faded or completely blue. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Checkerboard wrasse」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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