Napoleon Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
The humphead wrasse is the largest of the wrasses and lives chiefly on coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific. It also goes by the names Maori wrasse, Napoleon wrasse and Napoleonfish.
Family
Labridae
Avg Size
150-200 cm
Habitat
The species occurs along the east coast of Africa near the mouth of the Red Sea and across parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Juveniles tend to stay in shallow, sandy areas bordering coral reefs, while adults favour deeper, more offshore reef zones, particularly outer-reef slopes and channels, as well as lagoons.
Behaviour
Adults typically frequent steep reef slopes, channel slopes and lagoon reefs at depths of 2 to 60 m (about 6 ft 7 in to 196 ft 10 in). A highly opportunistic predator, it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as molluscs (especially gastropods and bivalves), sea urchins, crustaceans and annelids, along with other fish and even toxic prey like sea hares, boxfish and crown-of-thorns starfish. Because many bivalves and urchins lie buried in sand, the wrasse may follow excavators such as stingrays or dig prey out itself by blasting jets of water to clear the sand.
Where & When to See It
Soma Bay Garden
South Ras Abu Galum
El Erug
Abu Ramada North
Abu Ramada South
El Mina Wreck
Erg Abu Ramada
Erg Sabina
Salem Express
Sha'ab Samadai (Dolphin House)
Erg Somaya
Turft El Shahed
Abu Dabbab
Abu Hashish
Shaab Eissa
Fury Shoals
Shaab Eshta
Banana Reef
Shaab Sabina
North Ras Abu Galum
Elphinstone
Gota Abu Ramada
Panorama Reef
Belina Wreck
Abu Kifan
Shaab Petra
Habili Ali
Big Giftun
Small Giftun
Hamda
Ras Disha
North Gabr El Bint
Numidia
Paradise
Pinky Wall
Ras Abu Helal
Ras Bob
Ras Burg
Ras Ghamila
Ras Ghozlani
Ras Katy
Ras Nasrani
Ras Um Sid
Rosalie Moller
Sha'ab Sharm
Shaab Abu Nugar
Shaab Claudia
Shaab El Erg
Shaab Maksur
Shaab Sataya
Shabrur Um Gamar
Shag Rock (Kingston)
Shark Observatory
Shark's Bay
Siyul Kebira
Small Crack
Sodfa
Temple
The Alternatives
The Barge at Bluff Point
The Canyon
The Caves
The Islands
Thistlegorm
Thomas Reef
Tower
Turtle Bay
Turtle Reef
Umm Gamar North
Umm Gamar South
Abu Nuhas
Woodhouse Reef
Zabargad Island
Blue Hole - El Bells
Gordon Reef
Laguna Reef
Ras Zaatar
Rocky Island
Shark & Yolanda Reef
The Ulysses
Three Pools
Umm Kharalim
White Knight
Abu Ghalawa
Aida
Amphoras
Big Brother Island
Bluff Point
Careless Reef
Carnatic
Chrisoula K
Daedalus Reef
Dunraven (Beacon Rock)
Eel Garden
Eel Gardens
El Fanadir
El Fanous West
Far Garden
Fiddle Garden
Giannis D
Gota Kebir
Gota Soraya
Habili Gaffar
Jackfish Alley
Jackson Reef
Kimon M
Kormoran
Lighthouse
Little Brother Island
Middle Garden
Moray Garden - Golden Blocks
Napoleon Reef
Near Garden