Southern Tubelip

Interesting Info

• The Southern Tubelip, is a small wrasse found in northern Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and offshore reefs of Western Australia, as well as parts of the broader Indo-Pacific.
• Its most distinctive feature is its fleshy, tubular lips, which are bright orange to red and used to feed directly from corals.
• The body is generally brown to reddish with lighter speckling, while juveniles may display pale patches that provide camouflage among branching corals.
• This species is a specialist coral-feeder, feeding primarily on coral mucus and polyps, especially from branching Acropora corals.
• By feeding on mucus rather than coral skeletons, the Southern Tubelip does not cause structural damage to reefs, unlike some parrotfishes or crown-of-thorns starfish.
• They are secretive and usually found close to or within coral heads, darting quickly into crevices when approached.
• Males and females look similar, although males may develop brighter lip colouration during breeding season.
• Like many wrasses, they are believed to be protogynous hermaphrodites, with females capable of changing sex to males as needed.
• Reproductive behaviour is poorly documented, but spawning is likely pelagic, with eggs drifting in the plankton before hatching.
• Their lifespan is not well studied, but similar small wrasses typically live 4–6 years in the wild.
• The genus name Labropsis refers to their distinctive fleshy lips, while the species name australis highlights their occurrence in Australian waters.