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Napoleon Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
Steep outer reef slopes, channels, and lagoons of tropical Indo-Pacific reefs.
Huge size for a reef fish (up to 2.3 m), prominent bulbous forehead in adults, thick lips, bluish-green body with fine patterning.
Identification
Also called the humphead wrasse, this species is the largest member of the wrasse family. Adult males reach 2.3 meters and develop a pronounced bulbous forehead. The body is a subtle mottled blue-green with fine labyrinthine markings that give each individual a unique "face." They can live for over 30 years.
Distribution & Habitat
Napoleons inhabit coral-rich outer reef slopes and channels from the Red Sea to the central Pacific. They are generally solitary as adults, often patrolling the same stretch of reef for years.
Behavior
Napoleons are protogynous hermaphrodites: all individuals begin life as females, and some later transition to males. They prey on hard-shelled invertebrates — mollusks, crabs, urchins — using their powerful teeth to crack shells. Remarkably, they are among the few fish known to eat toxic crown-of-thorns starfish and boxfish.
Where to See Them
Ras Mohammed in the Red Sea, Tubbataha and Sipadan in the Pacific, and Elphinstone (Egypt) are classic sites. Napoleons are often curious and will approach divers closely. Never feed them — it has made wild populations dangerously habituated at some sites and is illegal in most range states.
Red Sea to the central Pacific. Particularly common around Tubbataha, Sipadan, and parts of the Maldives.
Slow-moving and curious. Protogynous hermaphrodite: all individuals start life female, some transition to male with age.
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