Humphead Maori Wrasse

Interesting Info

• The Humphead Māori Wrasse reaches the giant size of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long—making it the largest wrasse in the ocean.
• In Australia, it lives on offshore coral reefs from north-western to north-eastern regions—such as the Rowley Shoals, Browse Island, Scott Reef, Seringapatam Reef, Ashmore Reef, and around Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
• Juveniles are patterned with bands and start life in shallow coral-rich areas, while adults are massive and often found on deeper outer reef slopes and channels up to 100 m (330 ft) deep.
• Their prominent forehead bump and thick lips earn this fish names like “Napoleon Fish” and “Māori Wrasse.”
• Adults weigh up to around 180+ kg (400 lb), while females typically stay below about 1 m in length.
• Colour changes with growth: youngsters display a diamond pattern of blue, green, and yellow scales, while adults turn rich olive-green to blue-green with distinctive “eyelash” black lines behind the eyes.
• They have long lifespans—up to about 30 years—and reach sexual maturity around 5–7 years old.
• Like many wrasses, they change sex—they start life as females and some transform into males at around 70 cm or at nine years old.
• When it’s time to breed, adults form spawning aggregations—congregating in groups in reef channels to release eggs and sperm into the current.
• They are reef helpers—eating crown-of-thorns starfish, sea urchins, snails, and crabs, which helps keep coral reefs healthy.
• Known as gentle giants, they sometimes hug divers or even nudge hands, and many experienced divers remember them fondly.
• Populations have plunged—some areas saw 10-fold declines in just 10–15 years due to live-fish trade and overfishing.
• They are listed as Endangered globally, protected under CITES Appendix II, and legally protected in Western Australia (since 1998) and Queensland (since 2003).
• Some countries like Maldives, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Fiji, PNG, and the Philippines have banned exports to help populations recover.
• They rest in reef caves and branches at night—making them easier targets for night-time fishers in some regions.
• This wrasse is an important reef dweller, and its loss would mean missing a key protector of coral reefs.