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The humphead wrasse ( Cheilinus undulatus) is a large species of wrasse mainly found on in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also known as the Māori wrasse, napoleon wrasse, and napoleonfish. It is in the Pohnpeian language of the Caroline Islands.
The pelagic eggs and larvae ultimately settle on or near coral reef habitats. Eggs are 0.65 mm in diameter and spherical, with no pigment.
They sometimes engage in cooperative hunting with the roving coral grouper.
Adults are commonly found on steep coral reef slopes, channel slopes, and lagoon reefs in water deep.
The species actively selects branching hard and soft corals and seagrasses at settlement. Juveniles tend to prefer a more cryptic existence in areas of dense branching corals, bushy Seaweed, or , while larger individuals and adults prefer limited home ranges in more open habitat on the edges of reefs, channels, and reef passes.
The humphead wrasse is considered an umbrella species, which means many other species are sympatric with it and have much smaller ranges—thus the conservation of the humphead wrasse's habitat would benefit these other species as well. Understanding the concept of an umbrella species can lead to a better understanding of endangered species protection.
The humphead wrasse has historically been fished commercially in northern Australia, but has been protected in Queensland since 2003 and in Western Australia since 1998.
In Guangdong Province, southern mainland China, permits are required for the sale of the species. Indonesia allows fishing only for research, mariculture and licensed artisanal fishing. The Maldives instituted an export ban in 1995; Papua New Guinea prohibits export of fish over ; and Niue has banned all fishing for this species.
The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has classified the humphead wrasse as a species of concern—one about which it has concerns, but for which it has insufficient information to list under the Endangered Species Act.
In Taiwan it is a protected species with fines of between NT$300,000 and $1.5 million and jail sentences of between 6 months and 5 years under the Wildlife Conservation act for hunting or killing of the species having been added to the protection list in 2014.
Since so little was known about the wrasse's genetic relationships at a geographical scale, researchers utilized a test using microsatellite loci to facilitate population genetic studies. (DNA markers could not be used for testing, as the humphead wrasse lack such markers.) Of the 15 microsatellite loci used in the test, only four seemed to have different outcomes than the other 11. These loci were all prone to null alleles. However, with the presence of these null alleles, the results may have been slightly biased, or they may be related to a particularity of the C. undulatus, which are highly restricted to coral reef habitats.
Four main factors have allowed illegal, unregulated and unreported activities to persist:
Most exports of the humphead wrasse in Malaysia occur in the East Malaysia state of Sabah (in Sandakan, Papar, and Tawau), where the fish could recently be purchased for between US$45.30 and $69.43, with its retail price ranging from $60.38 to $120.36.
Ecology
Very opportunistic Predation, C. undulatus preys primarily on invertebrates such as (particularly gastropods, as well as Bivalvia, Sea urchin, , and ) other fish, and even the highly venomous Crown-of-thorns starfish. Because half of echinoids and most pelecypods hide under the sand, wrasses may rely on fish excavators like stingrays, or they themselves may excavate by ejecting water to displace sand and nosing around for prey. Like many other Red Sea wrasses, humphead wrasses often crack sea urchins (echinoids) by carrying them to a rock in their mouths and striking them against the rock with brisk, sideways head movements.
Conservation
The humphead wrasse is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red list and in Appendix II of CITES. Its numbers have declined due to multiple threats, including:
mall, Okinawa]]Unsustainable and severe overfishing within the live reef food fish trade is the primary threat. Sabah, on Borneo Island, is a major source of humphead wrasses. The fishing industry is vital to this state because of its severe poverty. The export of humphead wrasses out of Sabah has led to a roughly 99% decline in the area's population. In an effort to protect it, export of the humphead wrasse out of Sabah has been banned; however, it has not prevented illegal, unreported and unregulated activities. Protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is managed in this area by the federal Department of Fisheries Malaysia, which issues permits to regulate fishing activity. Two pieces of legislation have also been implemented to protect the species: The Fisheries Act 1985 controls the transport of live fish and prohibits destructive fishing techniques; and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 supports Malaysia's adoption of CITES.
Population conservation by genetics
In 1996, following a decade of rapid population decline, the humphead wrasse was placed on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. The wrasse's genomes must be analyzed to help keep the species alive.
Illegal, unregulated and unreported activities
The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia are the three largest exporters of the humphead wrasse. It has one of the highest retail values in Asia, especially when caught alive, and it is considered a delicacy in places like Malaysia. Illegal, unregulated, and unreported activities have been identified as the major factor for the failure of conservation efforts. Although the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has banned its export, the fish are still smuggled across the Malaysia–Philippines border.
See also
Further reading
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