Bleeding wrasse

Species of fish

Bleeding wrasse

Conservation status

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Actinopterygii
Order:  | Labriformes
Family:  | Labridae
Genus:  | Polylepion
Species:  |

P. cruentum

Binomial name
Polylepion cruentum

Gomon, 1977

The bleeding wrasse (Polylepion cruentum) is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It is found in reefs in the eastern central Pacific Ocean.

## Description

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The bleeding wrasse is relatively slender for a wrasse and its body tapers noticeably towards its tail. It has large eyes and a horizontal mouth which reaches to the eye, in front of the pupil.[2] The largest males have been measured at a total length of 24 centimetres (9.4 in).[3] The adults are red on their heads and upper body with a whitish underside, there are three or four yellow horizontal stripes on the upper flanks and curved yellow stripes on the head. The spiny part of the dorsal fin is black[1] with two pink stripes in the rear portion of that fin and a yellow margin. The anal fin is white with a wide yellow edge, the pelvic fins are also white and the pectoral fins are transparent but have a wide blood-red bar at their base. At the base of the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin there is a large oval-shaped red spot which becomes indistinct in the biggest fish.[2] The juveniles are pink in colour with more yellow stripes than the adults and a large black blotch on dorsal part of the caudal peduncle.[1]

## Distribution

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The bleeding wrasse is found in the central eastern Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Nicaragua, including the Cocos Islands of Costa Rica.[1] Its range may extend south as far as Colombia and Ecuador.[2]

## Habitat and biology

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The bleeding wrasse is found at depths of 150–200 metres (490–660 ft) over areas with a sandy substrate near gravel and rocky reefs.[3] It feeds on gastropods, bivalves, crustaceans and worms.[2] It is an oviparous species which pais during spawning[3] and the eggs and larvae are pelagic.[2]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Bertoncini, A. (2010). "Polylepion cruentum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T187725A8613802. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187725A8613802.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. ^ a b c d e "Species: Polylepion cruentum, Bleeding wrasse". The Shorefishes. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
3. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Polylepion cruentum". FishBase. August 2019 version.

Taxon identifiers

Polylepion cruentum|

* Wikidata: Q2460026
* Wikispecies: Polylepion cruentum
* CoL: 785N4
* FishBase: 13847
* GBIF: 2384425
* iNaturalist: 109978
* IRMNG: 10758800
* ITIS: 614109
* IUCN: 187725
* OBIS: 282314
* Open Tree of Life: 3636723
* WoRMS: 282314